A Guatemalan man was sentenced in the United States to 30 years in prison for his role in a human-trafficking case involving the deaths of 53 migrants in 2022. The migrants had been transported from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to San Antonio, Texas, in a trailer in which the air conditioning was not working. Forty-eight bodies were found when the abandoned trailer was opened, while 16 people were taken to hospitals; five of them later died.

The man, who was 50, had arranged travel documents and accommodation for two of the migrants who died and for two who were seriously injured, according to the case. Prosecutors said the migrants had paid up to $15,000 for the journey. His lawyer called the sentence excessive, saying the man had remained in Guatemala, had no influence over the vehicle used and did not know that its air conditioning was defective. Other defendants are still awaiting verdicts; two people were previously sentenced to life imprisonment and another 83 years for their roles in the case.