2 Men Convicted in 2022 Human Smuggling Incident That Led to 53 Deaths

Both Felipe Orduna-Torres and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega face up to life in prison at their sentencing on June 27, according to the DOJ.

Police and other first responders work the scene where officials say dozens of people have been found dead and multiple others were taken to hospitals with heat-related illnesses after a semitrailer containing suspected illegal immigrants was found in San Antonio, Texas, on June 27, 2022. Eric Gay/AP Photo

A federal jury on Tuesday found two men guilty for their role in a 2022 tractor-trailer human smuggling incident in San Antonio, Texas, that led to the death of 53 illegal immigrants and injury of 11 others.

Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, were convicted of conspiring with an alien smuggling organization that transported 66 migrants across the U.S.–Mexico border on June 27, 2022, resulting in deaths, bodily injuries, and placing lives in jeopardy.