Authorities have arrested six Guatemalan human smugglers linked to a 2021 semi-truck crash that killed more than 50 migrants and injured more than 100, the Department of Justice announced this week.
This comes three years after the tragic accident that occurred in Chiapas, Mexico, which killed and maimed scores of migrants, including children.
Four of the Guatemalan nationals – Tomas Quino Canil, 36; Alberto Marcario Chitic, 31; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, 24; and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, 42 – were arrested by Guatemalan law enforcement and surrendered to U.S. authorities.
Another smuggler – Jorge Agapito Ventura, 32 – was taken into custody by U.S. law enforcement at his home in Cleveland, Texas. The name of the sixth smuggler was blacked out in court documents from the federal court in Texas.
According to Guatemalan Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez, the smugglers are part of a Guatemalan criminal group called "Los Quinos." All six were indicted in connection with the crash in a federal court for the Southern District of Texas.
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According to the indictment, all six smugglers conspired between October 2021 and February 2023 to facilitate the travel of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico with the United States as the intended destination.
The indictment alleges that the smugglers recruited Guatemalan migrants to enter the U.S. illegally, collected payments from them and even distributed written scripts to migrant children on what to say if apprehended by U.S. immigration authorities.
During the journey, the smugglers moved the migrants on foot and on buses, cattle trucks and trailers.
On Dec. 9, 2021, migrants being transported by the smugglers in a trailer crashed into a steel pedestrian bridge near a small town called Tuxtla Gutierrez, resulting in more than 50 deaths.
Rescue workers discovered the crash with migrants inside the cargo trailer tossed and crushed in a pile of both the living and the dead. The trailer had been loaded with around 200 migrants.
In a statement released this week, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said: "Human smugglers should heed these charges and arrests as a warning: you will be held accountable for your deadly crimes."
"The Justice Department is holding accountable the individuals who we allege preyed on vulnerable migrants and are responsible for this heinous crime that resulted in the deaths of over 50 people and injured over 100 more," said Garland. "We will continue to work across agencies and across borders to stop the scourge of human smuggling."
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U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas said that "while this crash transpired beyond our borders, it is imperative that the pursuit of justice transcends those boundaries."
"Today, we reiterate our commitment to ensuring that those allegedly responsible for exploiting the vulnerabilities of families seeking refuge and opportunity face the full force of the law," said Hamdani.
The six are being charged with conspiracy to bring undocumented aliens to the United States, placing life in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries and causing death. The penalties for these crimes include death or imprisonment up to life.
