WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th June, 2023) US authorities apprehended four Mexican citizens in connection with a 2022 tractor-trailer smuggling attempt that left more than fifty migrants dead, the Justice Department said in a press release.
"Four Mexican nationals were arrested yesterday in San Antonio, Houston, and Marshall, Texas, for their alleged roles in a tractor-trailer smuggling incident that resulted in 53 deceased and 11 injured undocumented individuals one year ago today," the release said on Tuesday.
The Justice Department accused the four suspects - Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, Felipe Orduna-Torres, Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, and Armando Gonzales-Ortega - of participating in a smuggling organization which illegally brought adults and children from Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico into the United States.
"The alleged smugglers worked in concert to transport the migrants by sharing routes, guides, stash houses, trucks, trailers, and transporters to consolidate costs, minimize risks, and maximize profit," the release said.
If convicted, they each could face a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the release.
