July 21, 2022
Upon conviction, the charges for conspiracy to transport and transport resulting in death carry a maximum penalty of life in prison or the death penalty. The Attorney General will decide whether to seek the death penalty at a later time.
Statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcing that two men have been charged for their role in the migrant tractor-trailer case in Texas last month.
- Why It Matters: Two men from Texas were indicted — a formal charge against a person for a criminal offense — due to their involvement in conspiring to illegally transport migrants in what is now considered “the deadliest migrant smuggling case in U.S. history” (Texas Tribune).
- How the U.S. Attorney’s Office explains the case: “A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment today against two men charged in the fatal tractor trailer incident that occurred on June 27, 2022, resulting in the death of 50 adults and three minor children and injuring 10 adults and one minor child.”
- Big Picture: This incident is one example of human smuggling operations along the southern border. New data shows encounters of people attempting entry into the U.S. along the southwest border have continued to reach all-time highs. For more, read our latest border report.
Two men indicted in connection with deaths of 53 migrants who were found in tractor-trailer (Texas Tribune)
2 indicted in migrant death-trailer case that left 53 dead (Associated Press)
by Jenna Lee,
