Six Arrested in Human Trafficking Investigation Tied to 2021 Migrant Tragedy

Authorities have arrested six individuals associated with a human trafficking ring responsible for a 2021 accident that claimed over 50 migrant lives in southern Mexico.

In a significant operation on Dec. 9, 2024, U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement officials apprehended six individuals in connection with a deadly accident that killed more than 50 migrants in December 2021. The joint operation focused on a human trafficking ring linked to the incident, with five arrests taking place in Guatemala and one in Texas.

On Dec. 9, 2021, a tragic traffic accident occurred when a truck transporting 160 migrants overturned near Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas, Mexico. Reports indicated the vehicle was speeding and crashed into a pedestrian bridge, resulting in a catastrophic loss of life and numerous injuries.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Guatemalan authorities acted under a request from the U.S. to arrest four individuals involved in the smuggling operation: Tomas Quino Canil, Alberto Marcario Chitic, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala. Additionally, Jorge Agapito Ventura was taken into custody at his residence in Cleveland, Texas. A sixth unnamed person was also arrested during the investigation.

All five named suspects face charges of conspiracy to smuggle undocumented migrants into the United States and causing injury and death during the process, according to an indictment filed in the Southern District of Texas. The arrests coincided with the three-year anniversary of the tragic accident, bringing renewed focus and attention to the dangers of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in the region.