A Guatemalan man believed to have masterminded a deadly human smuggling operation in Texas has been arrested in Guatemala.
A suspect who is believed to have masterminded a human smuggling attempt that led to the deaths of 53 migrants has been arrested in Guatemala in what U.S. officials say is a dramatic development in the case.
Rigoberto Román Miranda Orozco has been charged with six counts of migrant smuggling leading to death or serious injury in connection to the incident, which took place in Texas in 2022.
The announcement of the arrest by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday marked a major escalation in the cross-border crackdown on human trafficking networks.
The Justice Department also confirmed it will seek Miranda Orozco’s extradition to the U.S., where, if convicted, he could face life imprisonment.
Authorities allege that Miranda Orozco played a key role in the ill-fated smuggling operation, which culminated in the gruesome discovery of an abandoned tractor-trailer filled with dead migrants on a remote Texas road.
The victims included 27 Mexicans, 14 Hondurans, seven Guatemalans, and two Salvadorans. The tragedy prompted President Joe Biden to condemn the event as “horrifying and heartbreaking.
