Four Mexican nationals arrested in Texas smuggling incident that killed 53 migrants

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of four Mexican nationals in connection to the tractor-trailer smuggling incident in San Antonio, Texas, that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants in June 2022. 

The four nationals were arrested in Houston this week and each were charged with four counts related to transportation of illegal aliens, ICE said Tuesday, the one-year anniversary of the incident.

Two Texas residents, including the driver of the tractor-trailer, were charged last July over the incident.

The men charged this week include Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, 30; Felipe Orduna-Torres, 28; Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 37; and Armando Gonzales-Ortega. They allegedly participated in a human smuggling operation from December 2021 through June 2022. 

The men are accused of maintaining multiple tractors and trailers for their smuggling organization. 

At least 66 migrants, including eight children and a pregnant woman, were smuggled in the tractor-trailer in the sweltering heat last year. Some of the defendants charged this week allegedly knew that the vehicle's air-conditioning unit was not working, officials said.

When the tractor-trailer was discovered, 48 migrants were already dead and 16 were transported to the hospital, where five of them died. The victims were from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras and included children and the pregnant woman. 

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.