Two more charged over deaths of 53 migrants in Texas News
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Two more charged over deaths of 53 migrants in Texas

US authorities on Wednesday charged two additional suspects over the deaths of several dozen migrants whose bodies were discovered in a semi-truck in San Antonio, Texas on Monday. These latest charges come on the heels of charges filed Tuesday against two men suspected of involvement in the incident.

The San Antonio police department discovered a semi-truck transporting some 100 migrants across the border Monday. Stacks of bodies were found inside the truck with the remaining victims collapsed beside them. In total, 39 men and 12 women died in the incident.

Wednesday’s charges were filed against the suspected driver of the truck, Homero Zamorano, as well as an accused conspirator, Christian Martinez. Zamorano was charged with one count of alien smuggling resulting in death, while Martinez was charged with a single count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. 

Given the incident’s status as the deadliest migrant-trafficking incident on record in the United States, the US Justice Department announced that if the accused are convicted, they will face life imprisonment or capital punishment. 

Due to the incident, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that the state will immediately start additional truck checkpoints to target trucks like the one found in San Antonio in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.