8 killed and 6 men arrested for smuggling migrants in Texas

• Eight people died in incidents at the US-Mexico border.
• Six people were arrested for smuggling migrants.
• How did it happen?

It is not uncommon to read about people being caught trying to cross the US-Mexico border illegally. However, few are successful and most are forced to return to their place of origin.

There are also people who offer to help smuggle migrants across the border for money, although this is very dangerous. Thousands of Latinos hope to achieve the American dream  and some die in the process.

Coyotes at the border!

«Coyotes”, also called “polleros”, attract people through word of mouth or through social media, where they share videos. If US Border Patrol stops someone trying to cross the border, they are generally searched for weapons.

These coyotes sometimes abandon people in the middle of the road, sell them to other criminals, or sexually or physically abuse them.

8 migrants died at the border

Six people have been arrested in South Texas on illegal smuggling charges in connection with two separate incidents that resulted in the deaths of eight migrants, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday.

Federal authorities said that Juan Manuel Tena, 39; Julia Isairis Torres, 37; Israel Torres Jr., 33; Erasmo Garcia III, 21; Alexis Rafael Adorno, 25; and José Refugio Torres, 26, were arrested this week on at least 11 counts of illegal smuggling.

The leader of the smuggling ring is in custody

According to EFE, Tena is the alleged leader of the smuggling ring that operated throughout South Texas. The suspects are accused of conspiring to transport undocumented persons in search of the American dream from the Rio Grande Valley to destinations within the United States.

As a result of those activities, eight migrants were killed and two others seriously injured, US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani said at a news conference.

More migrants killed

In one of the incidents that occurred in March 2019, four migrants died and one more was seriously injured when the vehicle that was taking them from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston overturned. In February 2022 Tena and Adorno coordinated an attempt to smuggle migrants on a boat from South Padre Island to the Corpus Christi area.

The boat capsized and four migrants were killed and another was seriously injured. All defendants face possible life in prison. The indictment also includes a forfeiture notice for several properties allegedly purchased with illegal proceeds from criminal activities.