Jurors begin deliberations for trial in San Antonio migrant smuggling tragedy that killed 53

Jurors are deliberating the verdict for two men alleged to be central figures in a human smuggling operation that resulted in the 2022 deaths of 53 migrants in San Antonio.

The trial started March 4 for Armando Gonzales-Ortega, the alleged coordinator, and Felipe Orduna-Torres, described as one of the leaders and organizers in the deadliest case of human trafficking incident in U.S. history.

If convicted, both Orduna-Torres and Gonzales-Ortega face up to life in prison.

>> TIMELINE: Developments in 2022 San Antonio migrant smuggling tragedy that left 53 dead

Authorities found 67 migrants on June 27, 2022, inside a sweltering semitrailer on Quintana Road on the Southwest Side.

Initially, the death toll was 48, but it rose to 53 by June 29, with victims succumbing to heat-related injuries.

The migrants traveled from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, according to Mexico’s National Immigration Institute.

Closing arguments

After the judge read the charges to the jury on Tuesday morning, closing arguments began with the prosecution.

The lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Fuchs, described the evidence in this case to jurors as “overwhelming.”

“When the goal is hiding illegal immigrants, you know you are doing something illegal,” Fuchs told the court.

Fuchs outlined the suspects’ alleged meticulous planning, suggesting to jurors that they coordinated the 2022 migrant transport two weeks in advance.

“All the prior times — all the prior trips — all the prior actions inform you of what they were doing,” Fuchs said.

The prosecution’s closing arguments concluded just before noon on Tuesday.

Defense attorney E.R. Bàez accused the prosecution of making its case with a lack of “forensics.”

“They don’t have any evidence,” Bàez told the court. “They don’t have anything that will put them unequivocally at this location.”

‘I was told not to ask any questions’

During testimony on March 7, co-conspirator Juan D’Luna Bilbao told the jury that before June 27, 2022, he told Jose Martinez Olivera, a leader of the organization, that the semitrailer’s cooling system was failing.

Bilbao, who has taken a plea deal for his role, said he was asked if he could get someone to fix it. He said yes, but not anytime soon.

Three days later, on June 27, 2022, Bilbao testified that Orduna-Torres called him early in the morning and instructed him to drop off the truck at a gas station at Interstate 35 and Loop 410.

Bilbao said he was told specifically to take the red truck with a malfunctioning cooling system instead of a working white truck because “the white one was smaller, but the red one was 53 feet long.”

When asked why he did not bring up the faulty cooling system, Bilbao said, “I was told not to ask any questions.”

Later that day, Bilbao said Orduna-Torres called him again, saying that something was not working and they had to make stops before hanging up on him.

Bilbao only learned of the deaths on Quintana Road from another co-conspirator later that evening.

Bilbao was arrested the same day authorities found the semitrailer, as it was registered to his home in San Antonio.

Homero Zamorano Jr., identified as the driver of the semitrailer, was arrested not far from the scene. Zamorano was found hiding in the brush, authorities said. He has since taken a plea deal.

Earlier in the trial, during testimony, new information revealed that 64 migrants were being transported in the tractor-trailer from Laredo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Fuchs said the immigrants were “essentially cooked” inside the semitrailer.

Fuchs also revealed a sophisticated human smuggling organization that had been operating for at least eight months before the Quintana Road tragedy.

The operation brought in over a dozen transports from Laredo to San Antonio, and immigrants paid up to $15,000 per person.