Guatemalan gets 30 years in US for role in dramatic human smuggling case

A Guatemalan man was sentenced to 30 years in prison in the US for his involvement in a human smuggling case that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants in 2022. The migrants suffocated in a trailer during a three-hour journey from Nuevo Laredo to San Antonio. The man admitted to arranging travel documents and accommodation for two deceased migrants and two others who were injured. The migrants paid up to $15,000 for the crossing. The prosecutor described the suffering of the migrants in the trailer, where the air conditioning failed. The trailer was found with 48 bodies, and 16 migrants were hospitalized, five of whom later died. Other suspects await sentencing, with two previously receiving life sentences. The man's lawyer criticized the severity of the sentence, arguing for immigration reforms instead of harsh penalties.