SAN ANTONIO \u2013 One of the organizers behind the deadliest human smuggling case in U.S. history pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court, the Department of Justice said in a news release.<\/p>\n
Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 49, recruited human smugglers to bring 67 migrants from Guatemala to Mexico and eventually into the United States, according to the release.<\/p>\n
Authorities found the migrants inside of a sweltering 90-degree semitrailer on Quintana Road, where 53 people died, many suffering heat-related injuries.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Miranda-Orozco admitted that he arranged for the migrants\u2019 transportation and accommodations throughout Guatemala to the U.S., according to the release. He plead guilty to three felony charges:<\/p>\n
Conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States resulting in death<\/p>\n
Aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in death<\/p>\n
Aiding and abetting bringing an alien into the United States resulting in serious bodily injury<\/p>\n
Miranda-Orozco is expected to be sentenced Oct. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis guilty plea is another step toward justice,\u201d U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said in the release.<\/p>\n
Miranda-Orozco was arrested in August 2024 in Guatemala, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement<\/a>. The United States requested for his extradition.<\/p>\n