Guatemalan authorities arrested seven individuals on Wednesday in connection with a tragic human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of 53 migrants in Texas in June 2022. Among those arrested was the leader of the smuggling group, Rigoberto Ramón Miranda Orozco, also known as Don Rigo, who now faces extradition to the United States.
The incident, one of the deadliest in recent history involving migrants on the southern U.S. border, occurred when smugglers locked the migrants inside a tractor-trailer and abandoned it on a remote road near San Antonio. With temperatures soaring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and no air conditioning, 48 migrants were found dead inside the trailer, while five more died after being taken to hospitals.
The Guatemalan National Civil Police, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, conducted the operation that led to the arrests. The group, known as “Los Orozcos,” was heavily involved in human trafficking, and their leader, Orozco, is wanted in the U.S. for his role in the smuggling operation. The Justice Department is expected to provide more details on the case in a press briefing scheduled for Thursday in San Antonio.
This operation is seen as a significant step in combating human trafficking and bringing those responsible for the tragic deaths to justice. The migrants, who endured horrific conditions in the locked trailer, had desperately screamed and banged on the walls for help, but were ultimately trapped by the intense heat.