Six human smugglers arrested in connection to 2021 crash that killed dozens
Authorities have made a major breakthrough in the investigation of a tragic semi-truck crash that claimed the lives of more than 50 migrants and left over 100 injured. Six Guatemalan human smugglers have been arrested in connection to the 2021 accident that occurred in Chiapas, Mexico.
The Department of Justice announced this week that four of the Guatemalan nationals – Tomas Quino Canil, Alberto Marcario Chitic, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala – were apprehended by Guatemalan law enforcement and handed over to U.S. authorities. Another smuggler, Jorge Agapito Ventura, was taken into custody by U.S. law enforcement officers in Cleveland, Texas. The identity of the sixth smuggler remains undisclosed in court documents.
The smugglers are believed to be part of a criminal group known as “Los Quinos,” according to Guatemalan Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez. All six have been indicted in a federal court for the Southern District of Texas for their involvement in the crash.
The indictment alleges that the smugglers conspired between October 2021 and February 2023 to facilitate the illegal transit of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico with the United States as their final destination. The smugglers recruited migrants, collected payments, and provided written scripts to migrant children on what to say if apprehended by U.S. immigration authorities.
During the journey, the migrants were transported on foot, buses, cattle trucks, and trailers. The fatal crash occurred on December 9, 2021, when a trailer carrying migrants crashed into a steel pedestrian bridge near Tuxtla Gutierrez, resulting in the tragic loss of over 50 lives.
Rescue workers found migrants inside the cargo trailer, some injured and others tragically killed. The trailer had been overloaded with around 200 migrants, highlighting the dangerous and inhumane conditions in which these individuals were being transported.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a statement condemning the actions of the human smugglers, stating that they will be held accountable for their crimes. The Justice Department is committed to working across agencies and borders to combat the scourge of human smuggling and ensure justice for the victims and their families.
The six smugglers are facing charges of conspiracy to bring undocumented aliens into the United States, placing lives in jeopardy, causing serious bodily injuries, and causing death. The penalties for these crimes include death or imprisonment for life.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani emphasized the importance of pursuing justice for those who exploit vulnerable migrants seeking refuge and opportunity. The arrests of the Guatemalan human smugglers mark a significant step towards holding accountable those responsible for the tragic loss of life in the 2021 semi-truck crash.
