Overview

• U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia sentenced Felipe Orduna-Torres to two life terms plus 20 years and fined him $250,000 after his March conviction for conspiracy to transport migrants resulting in death.
• Armando Gonzales-Ortega received 83 to 87.5 years in prison along with a $250,000 fine for his role as top assistant in the smuggling network.
• Prosecutors identified Orduna-Torres as the U.S. leader of the multinational ring that shared routes, vehicles and safe houses to move migrants from Laredo to San Antonio.
• Five other men, including driver Homero Zamorano Jr., have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing from November through December 2025.
• Extradition proceedings are underway for ring leader Rigoberto Miranda-Orozco, who is set to face federal charges later this year.