Man charged in San Antonio smuggling deaths arrested in Palestine

TYLER — A man who was charged in connection with the deaths of 53 people in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio was arrested in Palestine on Tuesday and appeared in court in Tyler on Wednesday, according to our news partner KETK. Christian Martinez, 28, was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented migrants resulting in death, according to a release from the United States Department of Justice. In San Antonio, officials also arrested 45-year-old Homer Zamorano Jr., and charged him for his alleged involvement in the same incident. If convicted, the men could face up to life in prison or the death penalty.

San Antonio police were led to Zamorano, who was observed hiding in the brush after attempting to escape, he was detained by SAPD. According to court documents, a search warrant was executed on a cell phone belonging to Zamorano. Officials discovered communications between Zamorano and Martinez concerning the smuggling event. Martinez will be transported to San Antonio for further proceedings, according to the U.S. DOJ. On Monday, officials responded to the scene of a human smuggling incident with a tractor-trailer and 64 individuals who were suspected of entering to U.S. illegally. San Antonio police advised Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) after getting 911 calls from concerned citizens. At the scene, SAPD officers found some individuals inside the tractor-trailer and some on the ground in nearby brush, many of them dead and the others were very weak.

Laredo Sector Border Patrol provided HSI agents surveillance footage of the tractor-trailer crossing through an immigration checkpoint. The driver was seen wearing a black shirt with stripes and a hat. HSI agents confirmed Zamorano matched the individual from the surveillance footage and was wearing the same clothing.

Juan Claudio D’Luna-Mendez, 23, and Juan Francisco D’Luna-Bilbao, 48, both citizens of Mexico, were also arrested in connection to the incident and had initial appearances on Monday. According to court documents, the registration for the tractor-trailer used in the attempted smuggling event came back to a residence in San Antonio, according to the DOJ.