Major Arrests in Deadly Migrant Smuggling Case Stretch to Central America

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In a major development, arrests related to the 2022 deaths of 53 migrants in Texas have now extended to Central America, exceeding a dozen suspects.

Guatemalan authorities have apprehended seven individuals linked to a smuggling network, including the suspected ringleader. The United States has requested his extradition, Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez told The Associated Press.

The Justice Department is set to hold a press conference in San Antonio to discuss a "significant" arrest but has released no further details yet.

Jiménez mentioned that the arrests followed 13 raids across three departments in Guatemala. Various vehicles and cash were seized, and additional migrants were rescued in the operations, according to a statement issued by Guatemalan officials.

"This is a collaborative effort between the Guatemalan police and Homeland Security, among other national agencies, aimed at dismantling human trafficking networks, which is a strategic objective of President Bernardo Arévalo's government to address irregular migration," said Jiménez.

Earlier, six individuals were charged. They include Homero Zamorano Jr. and Christian Martinez from Texas. Both were arrested shortly after the migrants were discovered, with charges already filed against them.

In 2023, four Mexican nationals were also apprehended.

Authorities reveal that these suspects were aware that the truck's air-conditioning unit was malfunctioning, leading to the deaths during the sweltering three-hour journey from Laredo to San Antonio.

When the trailer was opened in San Antonio, 48 migrants were dead. Another 16 were hospitalized, with five succumbing later. The victims hailed from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

Investigators allege the suspects collaborated with smuggling operations across Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, sharing resources and routes. Migrants paid up to USD 15,000 each for the journey, covering three attempts to cross the border.

The recent arrests in Guatemala included Rigoberto Román Mirnado Orozco, the alleged ringleader. Other arrests took place in the Huehuetenango and Jalapa departments.

Guatemalan officials report that several suspects are related and carry the surname Orozco, involved in transferring hundreds of migrants to the U.S. over the years.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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