Six Guatemalans were arrested on Monday in a cross-border operation spanning Guatemala and Texas, accused of orchestrating a human smuggling scheme linked to a tragic 2021 semitrailer crash in Mexico. The devastating accident claimed the lives of over 50 migrants, shedding light on the perilous journeys many endure in search of a better life, authorities revealed.
When the truck collided with a structure for a pedestrian bridge in Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the state of Chiapas in the south, it had been loaded with at least 160 migrants, most of them hailing from Guatemala. On the occasion of the accident’s third anniversary, the arrests were made public.
Tomas Quino Canil, age 36; Alberto Marcario Critic, age 31; Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, age 24; and Josefa Quino Canil de Zavala, age 42, of Guatemala were taken into custody by Guatemalan officials, as stated in an indictment that was unsealed on Monday in Laredo, Texas.
The arrest of another individual, Jorge Agapito Ventura, took place at his residence in Cleveland, Texas, according to the authorities in the United States. There was a sixth arrest, according to Guatemalan authorities. There was a sixth name that was not included in the federal indictment that was filed in the United States.
Conspiracy, putting a person’s life in danger, causing serious physical injury, and causing death were the charges that were brought against the alleged members of the group.
There was a lack of clarity regarding the presence of attorneys in the United States who could provide comment on behalf of those who were arrested as of late Monday. Monday evening, officials from the Justice Department did not immediately react to an email that was sent to them.
Based on the indictment, they are accused of conspiring to transport migrants from Guatemala to the United States of America through Mexico in exchange for cash. In certain instances where the defendants were involved in the act of smuggling unaccompanied minors, the indictment stated that they would supply scripts of what they would say if they were captured.
According to the accusation, the smugglers would transport migrants on foot, inside microbuses, vehicles that transported animals, and tractor-trailers. To bring migrants into the United States, it was stated that the smugglers would utilize Facebook Messenger to seek and give identification documents to the migrants.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States of America, stated that the tragedy that took place in Chiapas three years ago today is proof that human traffickers are vicious, insensitive, and dangerous. He added that migrants who wish to travel should not believe their lives.
Francisco Jiménez, the Minister of the Interior of Guatemala, was quoted as saying that the defendants were members of a criminal organization known as Los Quino. He also stated that officials from the United States had demanded the extradition of the four individuals who were arrested in Guatemala.
On Monday, the authorities carried out fifteen search warrants around the country of Guatemala, according to Jiménez. According to him, they had the backing of both the United States government and the Mexican government.
Reference: 6 charged with human smuggling in deadly 2021 Mexico truck crash