A Texas truck driver charged in the deaths of 53 migrants who rode in a scorching semi-truck without air conditioning pleaded guilty Thursday to the 2022 tragedy that became the country’s deadliest smuggling attempt across the U.S. border and Mexico became.
Homero Zamorano Jr., who lived in Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death, serious bodily injury and endangering life; a case of transporting foreigners resulting in death; and a case of transporting foreigners, which resulted in serious physical injuries and danger to life.
The 48-year-old faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, the US Department of Justice said. Zamorano is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24.
Mark Stevens, Zamorano’s attorney, said in an email that he could not comment on a pending case.
Three hour drive
Authorities said Zamorano, who was driving the truck, and other men charged in the smuggling attempt knew that the trailer’s air conditioning was malfunctioning and was not blowing cool air to the migrants trapped inside during the muggy, three-hour drive from the border town was able to get from Laredo to San Antonio.
Temperatures reached 38C as migrants screamed and banged on the walls of the trailer for help or tried to fight their way out, investigators said.
The truck was loaded with 67 people; the dead included 27 from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador, according to Mexican authorities. According to prosecutors, migrants paid up to $15,000 each to be brought across the U.S. border.
The incident occurred on June 27, 2022 on a remote back street in San Antonio. Police officers arrested Zamorano after spotting him hiding in nearby bushes, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A search of Zamorano’s cell phone revealed calls regarding the contraband hunt.
Surveillance video of the 18-wheeler passing through a Border Patrol checkpoint showed the driver matched Zamorano’s description, according to the indictment.
Also previously charged in the tragedy was Christian Martinez of Texas, who was arrested along with Zamorano shortly after the migrants were found. Martinez has since pleaded guilty to smuggling charges.
In 2023, four Mexican nationals were also arrested in the case.
And in August, a suspect arrested in Guatemala was charged with helping coordinate the smuggling attempt. US authorities would request the extradition of Rigoberto Román Miranda Orozco, who is accused of six counts of migrant smuggling resulting in death or serious injury. Authorities claimed he was linked to four Guatemalan migrants in the caravan, three of whom died, and that he could face life in prison if convicted.
Mobile phone stolen by smugglers: indictment
According to the indictment against Miranda Orozco, the smugglers forced the migrants to hand over their cellphones before getting into the trailer, leaving them unable to call for help. An unknown powder was spread around the trailer to prevent patrol dogs at border control stations from detecting the scent of human cargo.
When the caravan opened in San Antonio, 48 migrants were already dead. Another 16 were taken to hospitals, where five more died. US President Joe Biden called the tragedy “horrible and heartbreaking”.
The deceased were looking for a better life. News of the trailer full of bodies sparked horror in towns and villages accustomed to seeing their young people move away to escape poverty or violence in Central America and Mexico.
Authorities allege the men were involved in human smuggling operations in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, sharing routes, guides, hideouts, trucks and trailers, some of which were stored in a private parking lot in San Antonio.
