Texas tractor-trailer: Killed 53 immigrants
The authorities stated that they discovered Zamorano, 45, acting as one of the survivors of the catastrophe that claimed the lives of 53 people when he was “extremely high on meth.”
The driver of the Texas tractor-trailer that was “high on meth” and was responsible for the deaths of 53 immigrants faces the DEATH PENALTY.
Homero Zamorano, 45, was found to be “extremely high on meth” and to be acting as if he were one of the survivors following the incident that resulted in 53 deaths (DOJ)
If found guilty, Homero Zamorano Jr., the driver of the truck that carried nearly one hundred illegal immigrants across the southern border and then abandoned them in the blazing heat of Texas, faces the possibility of being put to death.
The authorities stated that they discovered Zamorano, 45, “extremely high on meth” and posed as one of the survivors following the catastrophe that resulted in the deaths of 53 people. According to information provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, the driver of the semi-truck was charged with one count of alien smuggling that resulted in death. A conviction is also certain for Christian Martinez, 28, who has been charged with conspiracy and faces the same potential sentence of death as the other defendants. According to the allegations, he discussed transferring the illegal immigrants in conversation with Zamorano. During this time, Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, 48, were arrested on suspicion of being complicit in the crime by being in possession of a firearm while illegally present in the United States.
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Martinez was taken into custody in East Texas, while the other two males were caught at the address in San Antonio where the truck was registered. As the investigation into the bloodiest smuggling incident on the southern border to date continued, the four guys were still being held in prison by the authorities. Since the discovery of the first dead bodies on Monday, June 27, outside an auto salvage yard in San Antonio, the death toll from the disaster is also slowly growing. Two more persons lost their lives on Wednesday, June 29, bringing the total number of fatalities from the tragedy to four. According to the Daily Mail, when the truck was abandoned, law enforcement officers were looking into whether or not it had any mechanical issues.
Francisco Garduo, the head of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, stated that of the people who lost their lives in the incident, 27 were from Mexico, 14 were from Honduras, 7 were from Guatemala, and 2 were from El Salvador. As of Wednesday, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office said that officials may have a potential identification for 37 of the fatalities. These identifications are currently undergoing verification with authorities from the countries in where the victims were originally located. There were at least 40 males among the victims. Having said that, authorities had a difficult time identifying the deceased due to the fact that some of the bodies were discovered with falsified identification documents, and in one instance, a stolen identification card. In addition, some of the aliens come from rural areas of Mexico and Central America, where there is no phone coverage and hence no way for them to contact their families. In addition to this, the authorities are requesting fingerprint data from all of the relevant governments.
On Monday, officials noticed that temperatures in San Antonio came close to reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of the people who were transported to the hospital during this time were extremely dehydrated and hot to the touch. Jennifer Vanos, an assistant professor at Arizona State University who studies the fatalities of people who have been trapped in hot vehicles, told the Associated Press that it would not have taken very long for the temperature inside the semi to reach levels that would have been fatal. She explained that it was possible for the tractor-trailer to be hot even before anyone entered due to the excessive humidity, lack of ventilation, and the large quantity of individuals who were packed within.
The United States Attorney’s Office in San Antonio reports that the accused driver, Zamorano, currently resides in a suburb of Houston but is originally from the city of Brownsville, which is located in the state of Texas. Despite Zamorano’s extensive criminal background, his estranged wife Jennifer Duncan told the New York Post that he “is a wonderful man.” Jennifer Duncan was speaking to the newspaper. She went on to remark, “I’m speechless, I mean, I don’t even know what to say about it because I’m still in disbelief. It’s obvious to me that he wouldn’t engage in any activity if he thought it may put other people in danger.” According to The Post, Duncan and Zamorano had been separated for the past half a year. She continued by saying that her ex-boyfriend “goes out of his way to help everybody and everybody.” On Thursday, June 30, Zamorano is scheduled to make his debut in court for the very first time.