SouthernWorldwide.com – Two Guatemalan nationals have pleaded guilty to their roles in a devastating human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 56 people and injured over 100 others.
Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala and Alberto Marcario Chitic entered their guilty pleas for conspiring to transport undocumented immigrants into the United States, a venture that ultimately endangered and claimed lives, according to Department of Homeland Security officials.
These two individuals were among five Guatemalan citizens who were extradited to the United States in 2025 to face charges related to the incident. A sixth alleged accomplice was apprehended in Texas.
SIX HUMAN SMUGGLERS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO 2021 CRASH THAT KILLED DOZENS
Federal authorities have cited this tragic crash as a direct consequence of previous open border policies.
Prosecutors detailed that the crash, which occurred on December 9, 2021, was orchestrated by a highly organized, profit-driven network that treated human beings as mere components of a supply chain.
FEDS BUST MASSIVE ALLEGED GUATEMALAN HUMAN SMUGGLING RING OPERATING OUT OF CALIFORNIA
The smugglers were responsible for recruiting migrants in Guatemala, collecting their payments, and then packing them into cattle trucks and tractor-trailers for the perilous journey towards the U.S. border.
The fatal accident took place just north of the border between Guatemala and Mexico.
“This tragic event underscores the indifference of human smugglers towards the undocumented aliens they encounter and transport, despite the numerous risks, including extreme heat and dangerous travel conditions,” stated Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas emphasized the cold and calculated nature of the criminal enterprise. He revealed that the smuggling network even provided children with scripts to deceive law enforcement if they were apprehended entering the United States.
The successful prosecution of this case was led by Joint Task Force Alpha, a specialized initiative established through a partnership between the Justice Department and DHS. Its primary objective is to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
To date, the task force’s endeavors to combat the border crisis have led to more than 458 arrests and over 408 convictions in U.S. courts for leaders and key facilitators of illegal immigrant smuggling operations.
