The alleged leader of a Guatemala-based human trafficking organization pleaded guilty for his role in the deadliest migrant smuggling incident in U.S. history, which left 53 undocumented immigrants dead and 11 injured, in San Antonio, Texas.

Rigoberto Ramón Miranda Orozco pleaded guilty to several charges of conspiracy to illegally introduce immigrants into the United States resulting in death.

The incident occurred on June 27, 2022 when 66 undocumented immigrants were trafficked in an unventilated truck from Mexico to the United States when the thermometer outside read more than 38 degrees Celsius. By the time the vehicle arrived in San Antonio, 48 migrants had already died.

Five other migrants died after being taken to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the dead.

Miranda Orozco admitted to arranging the transportation and lodging of several immigrants in Guatemala, Mexico and the United States, according to court documents.

In August 2024 he was arrested in Guatemala at the request of the United States for his extradition.

His arrest was part of a large-scale operation during which Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants throughout the country. The man was extradited from Guatemala in March 2025.

Miranda Orozco is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8 and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

“Miranda Orozco was a key organizer in a complex human trafficking network that prioritized profits and endangered people,” Deputy Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement.

The prosecutor added that the case shows that immigration crimes and human trafficking have “far-reaching” consequences.

Two men have already been sentenced in this case: Felipe Orduña Torres was sentenced to life in prison and Armando González Ortega was sentenced to 83 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the truck driver, Homero Zamorano Jr., who pleaded guilty to charges related to the tragedy, awaits sentencing.

With information from EFE.