(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- The two suspects who were arrested in late June for the deaths of over 50 illegal aliens inside a tractor-trailer were indicted last Wednesday by a federal grand jury in San Antonio Texas.
The grand jury indicted Homero Zamorano Jr. 46, and Christian Martinez, 28, on two counts of transporting and conspiring to transport migrants illegally resulting in death and transporting and conspiring to transport migrants illegally resulting in serious injury.
Both suspects will remain in federal custody without bond pending trial.
If convicted on the first count, both suspects could face a life sentence, however, prosecutors could be authorized to seek the death penalty in this case. The second count of serious injury carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
The June 27 incident was the deadliest tragedy of the ongoing crisis at the southern border. The tractor-trailer had been jam-packed with 73 illegal aliens smuggled into the US from Mexico. Among the 53 dead were 27 Mexican nationals, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala, and two from El Salvador.
Several of the survivors were left in critical condition with injuries including brain damage and internal bleeding.
When law enforcement arrived at the scene on June 27, Homero Zamorano was detained after he was spotted hiding in a nearby field.
Initially, Zamorano attempted to pass himself off as one of the migrants. But a search of his cell phone uncovered calls made between him and Christian Martinez concerning the human smuggling run, and video surveillance of the 18-wheeler crossing a Border Patrol checkpoint showed the driver matched Zamorano’s description.
Martinez was arrested in Palestine, Texas a short time later.
Both Zamorano and Martinez are from Pasadena, Texas.