Six Guatemalans have been charged in the United States for human smuggling related to a 2021 accident in Mexico, where a truck carrying migrants crashed, resulting in over fifty deaths and numerous injuries. The truck held at least 160 migrants, primarily from Guatemala, and overturned due to the weight of the passengers while heading north in southern Mexico.
The accused face charges of conspiracy, endangerment, causing serious injury, and manslaughter. They are allegedly part of a criminal organization smuggling migrants from Guatemala through Mexico to the US, with migrants paying between $2,500 and $3,500 for the journey.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas highlighted the accident as evidence of the ruthlessness of smugglers, urging migrants not to entrust their lives to such criminals. Authorities hope the arrests will disrupt the smuggling network.
Mexico continues to face challenges with migrants attempting to cross into the US, exacerbated by US policies requiring asylum seekers to wait in Mexico, along with ongoing gang violence and drug trafficking.
Source: NOS