USCIS Aids in Conviction of Two Men, Extradition of Third in 2022 San Antonio Alien Smuggling Tragedy
SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services assisted in a significant human smuggling investigation that resulted in the conviction of two men and the extradition of a third for their involvement in 53 deaths and 11 injuries in 2022. As part of the investigation, USCIS combed hundreds of immigration records and conducted electronic database searches to verify victim and subject identities.
Felipe Orduna-Torres, 30, and Armando Gonzalez-Ortega, 55, were convicted by a federal jury for their roles in the tragedy. The two men, along with others, smuggled approximately 66 individuals into the United States inside a tractor trailer that lacked functioning air conditioning. As temperatures soared, many of the illegal aliens lost consciousness, and by the time the trailer arrived in San Antonio, 48 people were already dead and another five died later in the hospital. Among the dead were six children and a pregnant woman.
Both Orduna-Torres and Gonzalez-Ortega face potential life sentences in connection with the deaths. They were convicted of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, and transportation of illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury.
In addition to the convictions, extensive collaboration between U.S. and Guatemalan authorities led to the extradition of Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, 48. Miranda-Orozco is charged with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States resulting in death and serious bodily injury. He is accused of smuggling several individuals, including those who perished in the tractor trailer incident.
The investigation and subsequent legal actions were part of the efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a multi-agency initiative designed to target transnational criminal organizations involved in human trafficking and smuggling. JTFA’s coordinated efforts, in partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and international law enforcement, have led to numerous arrests, convictions, and dismantling of smuggling operations across the Western Hemisphere.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.