Texas Man Pleads Guilty in Deadly Smuggling Operation That Killed 53 Migrants

A Texas man, Christian Martinez, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges in connection with a smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of 53 migrants who were trapped in a hot semitruck in San Antonio last year. Martinez faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. The alleged driver of the truck, Homero Zamorano Jr., has also been charged in the case. Surveillance footage and phone communications were used to connect Martinez and Zamorano to the operation. In addition to the fatalities, nearly a dozen others were hospitalized for heat-related conditions.