The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that two Guatemalan nationals have pleaded guilty to their roles in a massive human smuggling operation. The operation was responsible for a devastating 2021 tractor-trailer crash in Mexico that killed 56 people, including children, and injured over 100 others.
The two smugglers, Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala and Alberto Marcario Chitic, entered guilty pleas for conspiring to bring illegal immigrants into the United States. Their actions placed lives in jeopardy and resulted in death, according to DHS officials.
The two smugglers were among five Guatemalan nationals extradited to the United States in 2025 to face charges. A sixth alleged co-conspirator was arrested in Texas. Federal officials pointed to the crash as a tragic consequence of previous open border policies.
Federal officials have highlighted the catastrophic 2021 tractor-trailer crash as a devastating example of the consequences of human smuggling. The crash involved a highly organized, profit-driven network that treated human beings "like a supply chain."
The smugglers recruited migrants in Guatemala, collected their money, and packed them into cattle trucks and tractor-trailers for the treacherous journey north toward the U.S. border. The fatal wreck happened just north of the Guatemala-Mexico border.
The successful prosecution was spearheaded by Joint Task Force Alpha, a specialized partnership between the Justice Department and DHS aimed at dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations. To date, the task force's efforts to combat the border crisis have resulted in over 458 arrests and over 408 U.S. convictions of leaders and significant facilitators of illegal immigrant smuggling.
The operation was characterized as a cold and calculated endeavor, with smugglers even handing scripts to children so they could lie to law enforcement if caught entering the United States. This highlights the extreme risks and dangers faced by those attempting to cross the border.
As a result of the guilty pleas, the two smugglers will soon face justice. The prosecution of this case serves as a reminder of the consequences of human smuggling and the importance of continued efforts to combat this issue.
