TX man pleads guilty in deaths of 53 migrants in sweltering temps

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

A TEXAS TRUCK DRIVER HAS PLED GUILTY TO CHARGES IN CONNECTION TO THE DEATHS OF 53 MIGRANTS FOUND TO INSIDE A SEMI-TRAILER WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING DURING SCORCHING TEMPERATURES.

THE 2022 INCIDENT IS THE DEADLIEST SMUGGLING ATTEMPT ACROSS THE U-S MEXICO BORDER IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THURSDAY HOMERO ZAMORANO JUNIOR PLEADED GUILTY TO SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING CONSPIRACY TO TRANSPORT ALIENS RESULTING IN DEATH.

ZAMORANO IS SET TO BE SENTENCED ON APRIL 24TH AND FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE IN PRISON.

AUTHORITIES SAY ZAMORANO DROVE A TRUCK THAT HE AND OTHER MEN KNEW HAD A BROKEN AIR CONDITIONER WITH NEARLY 70 MIGRANTS INSIDE FOR THREE HOURS FROM LAREDO TO SAN ANTONIO.

INVESTIGATORS SAY TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS AS MIGRANTS CRIED FOR HELP AND TRIED TO ESCAPE.

PROSECUTORS SAY THE MIGRANTS IN THE TRUCK WERE UNABLE TO CALL AUTHORITIES BECAUSE THEIR CELLPHONES WERE TAKEN BY HUMAN SMUGGLERS.

ACCORDING TO AN INDICTMENT, THOSE INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION SPREAD AN UNKNOWN POWDER AROUND THE TRAILER TO STOP THE SMELL OF HUMAN CARGO FROM BEING DETECTED BY PATROL DOGS AT BORDER CHECKPOINTS.

THE BODIES OF 48 MIGRANTS WERE FOUND WHEN THE TRUCK REACHED SAN ANTONIO WHILE MORE THAN A DOZEN OTHERS WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE FIVE MORE DIED.

ALSO CHARGED IN THE CASE IS CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ OF TEXAS.

BOTH ZAMORANO AND MARTINEZ WERE ARRESTED SHORTLY AFTER THE MIGRANTS WERE FOUND INSIDE THE TRUCK’S TRAILER.

MARTINEZ HAS ALSO PLEADED GUILTY TO MULTIPLE SMUGGLING-RELATED CHARGES.

INVESTIGATORS SAY THE MEN WORKED WITH HUMAN SMUGGLERS FROM GUATEMALA, HONDURAS AND MEXICO, SHARING ROUTES, GUIDES AND STASH HOUSES AS WELL AS TRUCKS AND TRAILERS.

PROSECUTORS SAY MIGRANTS WERE CHARGED 15-THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH TO BE SMUGGLED ACROSS THE U-S BORDER, WHICH COVERED THREE ATTEMPTS.

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