Feds Announce Arrest of Alleged Leader in Fatal 2022 Human Smuggling Case

Feds Announce Arrest of Alleged Leader in Fatal 2022 Human Smuggling Case

San Antonio, TX – Federal authorities announced the indictment of a Guatemalan national believed to have played a part in a devastating human smuggling operation that resulted in the death of 53 migrants and left 11 injured in San Antonio, Texas.

As per U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Jaime Esparza, Rigoberto Román Mirando Orozco has been charged with six counts of migrant smuggling ending in death or grievous injury. The prosecutors alleged that Orozco’s involvement could be traced back to at least four of the migrants found on the tractor-trailer, three of whom lost their lives.

Esparza detailed the operation at a news conference in San Antonio, labeling it as a “complex operation and a major success for the progression of this case.”

Details of the Operation

The high stakes operation involved apprehending one of the key orchestrators of the tragic smuggling operations where vulnerable families were charged a hefty sum for a promised safe transport across the U.S. border from Guatemala and other countries.

The successful apprehension highlights the dedication of multiple organizations and agencies to ensure that justice is served for all 53 migrants who died in the 2022 tractor-trailer tragedy.

The arrests spanned over 13 raids in three different departments in Guatemala, carried out with the cooperation of the Guatemalan police and Homeland Security, amongst other national agencies, whose collective aim is to dismantle the human trafficking structures.

The Incident and Other Arrests

The incident in question took place on June 27, 2022. Acknowledged as one of the worst human smuggling disasters in recent history, a large group of migrants found themselves trapped inside a tractor-trailer on the height of a summer day with no water, no ventilation and no way out on Quintana Road on the South Side.

Since the incident, multiple arrests have been made in conjunction with the case. One of the key scaled characters being Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, also known by his alias, “Cowboy.” Rivera-Leal pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to transport aliens, placing lives in jeopardy. He potentially faces a maximum prison penalty of 20 years.

The prosecution has alleged that the organization associated with Rivera-Leal smuggled adults and children alike from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to the destination of San Antonio. Upon arrival, smaller groupings were further transported to Houston.

On the day of the fatal incident, the organization organized a smuggling operation, transporting a group of migrants from Laredo to San Antonio via a tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer, smuggling the group via Interstate 35, ended up on the 9600 block of Quintana Road, where the migrants were later discovered.

Consequences and Further Cases

Other individuals such as Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, Christian Martinez, and Juan Francisco D’Luna Bilbao have all admitted guilt to charges relating to the conspiracy and transport of illegal aliens, resulting in either death or serious injury. In contrast, cases of the tractor-trailer driver Homero Zamorano Jr., Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzales-Ortega are still under review.

The tragic incident stresses the urgency in tackling human smuggling operations, securing borders, and ensuring the safety of all individuals. The substantial breakthrough in this case serves as a reminder of the significant progress made and the many steps still required toward disrupting these harmful smuggling networks.