53 migrant truck deaths: man gets 30 years in Texas

A Guatemalan man was sentenced in Texas on October 20 to 30 years in prison for his involvement in the deaths of 53 migrants who were crammed into a sweltering tractor-trailer after crossing the Mexican-US border in 2022.

Rigoberto Miranda Orozco is the third person to be sentenced in the case, the US Attorney's Office said. The smuggling ring's leader, Felipe Orduna Torres, was sentenced last year to life in prison, and an accomplice, Armando Gonzalez Ortega, received 83 years.

US Attorney for the Western District of Texas Justin Simmons said Miranda was a key part of the smuggling organisation that caused the deaths. Miranda was extradited from Guatemala to face trial in the United States.

In June 2022, at least 64 migrants, including eight children and a pregnant woman, were smuggled in an unventilated tractor-trailer from Mexico into Texas. They were mostly from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.

US authorities said the smugglers charged $12,000 to $15,000 per person. The truck's air conditioning malfunctioned and the temperature inside rose as it travelled north to San Antonio.

By the end of the trip, 48 migrants, including a pregnant woman, were dead. Sixteen people were taken to hospitals, five of whom died. Eleven people survived.