Three years after the deadliest migrant tragedy in U.S. history, two of the seven suspects were sentenced to prison. But when will the other five learn their fate?
SAN ANTONIO — Three years to the day after 53 migrants were killed in the deadliest migrant tragedy in U.S. history, two of the seven suspects were sentenced to prison. But when will the other five learn their punishment?
On Friday, 55-year-old Armando Gonzales-Ortega was sentenced to over 87 years in prison for his role in the deaths, with a supervised released term of three years on two of his counts. Felipe Orduna-Torres, the 32-year-old who officials discovered was the leader of the operation, received two life sentences and an additional 20-year sentence on three counts against him.
Both men were also fined $250,000. The pair had been found guilty in March for their roles in the tragedy.
“Your day has arrived,” the judge told the two suspects at the onset of the sentencing hearing. The judge also called it a “difficult case,” and read the names of all 53 people who died that day out of respect.
The federal investigation found some of the defendants knew the tractor-trailer’s air conditioning wasn’t working, creating the suffocating conditions that 66 migrants endured for the three-hour journey to San Antonio.
The other five suspects involved in the summer 2022 operation already pleaded guilty and will only have to wait a few more months before receiving their sentence. Here’s where things stand with them.
Riley Covarrubias-Ponce
Riley Covarrubias-Ponce, a 32-year-old Mexican national, made $300 for every person he transported and was described as a third coordinator of the operation. Authorities said he traveled from Houston to accompany the vehicle as it transported migrants north along Interstate 35.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 6 after he pleaded guilty to four charges related to the tragedy.
Luis Albert Rivera-Leal
Luis Alberto Rivera-Leal, 29, met the tractor-trailers that had brought migrants to San Antonio and transported smaller groups in his personal vehicle to Houston. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13.
Christian Martinez
Texas man Christian Martinez, 31, says he helped find the drivers for every operation and also played a key role in the trial when he took the stand as a witness against Gonzales-Ortega and Orduna-Torres. In the summer of 2022, Martinez a co-conspirator, Homero Zamorano Jr., to the San Antonio location where Zamorano would eventually pick up the empty tractor-trailer he later drove with dozens of dying migrants inside.
Martinez will be sentenced on Nov. 20 after being convicted of conspiring to transport migrants resulting in injury and transportation of migrants resulting in death, among other crimes. Martinez faces life in prison.
Homero Zamorano Jr.
Homero Zamorano Jr., a 48-year-old Brownsville native, was the driver in the operation, and was found to have abandoned the tractor-trailer in southwest San Antonio with 66 people inside. He was arrested in the weeks after the June 2022 incident.
His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4 after an unsuccessful attempt to dismiss his case.
Juan D’Luna Bilbao
Mexican man Juan D’ Luna Bilbao, 51, reportedly also worked as a coordinator for the deadly operation and served as a key witness in the trial against Gonzales-Ortega and Orduna-Torres. He was arrested in July 2022 at the home where the tractor-trailer was registered to.
Bilbao is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 4.
The investigation was a joint effort by San Antonio-area law enforcement as well as Homeland Security, the FBI, ATF, Customs and Border Protectin, and other agencies.
In a news conference after the sentencing for Gonzales-Ortega and Orduna-Torres, Justin Simmons. U.S. attorney for the Western District, called the sentences a major milestone in the case, adding he hoped the outcome can help the families with their healing processes.