A federal grand jury on Wednesday charged two men in connection with a people-smuggling operation that killed 50 adults and three children in and around an abandoned tractor-trailer on the outskirts of San Antonio last month, officials said.
It was one of the deadliest incidents in recent history involving migrants along the southern border of the United States.
Homero Zamorano Jr., 46, of Pasadena, Texas, and Christian Martinez, 28, of Palestine, Texas, were charged with conspiracy to illegally transport and transport migrants resulting in death, and of conspiracy to illegally transport and transport them of migrants resulting in serious injuries, the US attorney for the Western District of Texas in San Antonio said.
Mr Zamorano and Mr Martinez could be sentenced to life imprisonment or the death penalty if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit transportation and transportation resulting in death. They each face up to 20 years in prison for the charge of transportation resulting in injury. Attorney General Merrick Garland will decide before the trial whether to prosecute the death penalty.
mr. Martinez and mr. Zamorano are in federal custody awaiting trial. Lawyers of Mr. Martinez declined to comment, and attorneys for Mr. Zamorano did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 53 men, women and children were found dead on June 27 after San Antonio police officers received 911 calls from people concerned about the abandoned tractor-trailer.
The temperature reached 100 degrees that day and the truck had no functioning cooling system. People were found dead in the truck, on the ground and in nearby undergrowth, the US attorney said. Ten adults and a child were injured.
Roberto Quintero, who encountered the truck and called 911, told DailyExpertNews last month that a young girl nearby asked him for help.
“I didn’t get her name, nor did I think to ask where she came from,” said Mr. Quintero. “She just kept hanging on my arms and yelling, ‘Help me, help me’ in Spanish.”
Officials said the dead and injured were migrants from countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Violence, economic and political turmoil, and climate change have driven Central American migration to the southern US border.
San Antonio police said last month they had arrested a man identified as the driver, Mr Zamorano. Officers found him hiding in the undergrowth after he tried to run away, the US attorney said. Authorities then searched his cell phone and found “communication” with Mr. Martinez about the people smuggling.
Surveillance footage obtained by Homeland Security showed Mr Zamorano wearing the same clothing as the driver of the tractor-trailer as he crossed a federal immigration checkpoint, the US attorney said. The truck has not been checked at the checkpoint.
Two Mexican nationals, who police saw leave the San Antonio residence where the tractor-trailer was registered, were also charged Wednesday on one count each of possessing a firearm while unlawfully present in the United States, the US attorney said. in San Antonio. .
The two men, Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, 48, and Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, have been in federal custody since their arrest on June 27. If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison.
