Two Men Sentenced to Life for Texas Truck Tragedy That Killed 53 Migrants

Two Men Sentenced to Life for Texas Truck Tragedy That Killed 53 Migrants
………………….

Two men have been sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the deaths of 53 migrants, including six children, found dead inside an abandoned tractor-trailer in Texas in June 2022, media outlets reported. A federal judge in Texas sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres to life and Armando Gonzales-Ortega to 83 years — effectively a life term — and imposed $250,000 fines on both.

A jury convicted the men in March of charges related to human smuggling and conspiracy. Prosecutors said Orduna-Torres led a smuggling ring that operated from December 2021 to June 2022, moving migrants from Mexico and Central America. The migrants had paid up to $15,000 each to cross the U.S. border.

On June 27, 2022, 64 migrants were packed into the trailer without air conditioning or water during the sweltering Texas summer. They screamed and banged on the walls as temperatures rose, but only 11 survived. Prosecutors said the men knew the truck’s air conditioner was broken. Five other men involved have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

The tragedy highlighted the deadly risks migrants face and the profit-driven smuggling networks, which are often linked to Mexico’s violent cartels and continue to exploit desperate migrants using increasingly dangerous routes.