In a significant crackdown on human smuggling, three Guatemalan nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges related to a 2021 mass casualty incident in Chiapas, Mexico. After their extradition from Guatemala, the individuals appeared in federal court in connection with a tractor-trailer crash that was carrying more than 160 people. The incident resulted in over 50 deaths, including children, and left more than 100 others injured.
With pronounced coordination between U.S. and Guatemalan authorities, the operation carried out on December 9, 2024, led to their arrests. The extraditions are a direct response to the Justice Department's sustained pursuit of justice against human smugglers, who often profit off the most vulnerable. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, in a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, emphasized, "We will not rest until those who profit from the suffering of vulnerable people — including many unaccompanied children — face severe, comprehensive justice."
The three individuals, Tomas Quino Canil, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino, and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala, arrested last December, were surrendered to U.S. authorities on Wednesday. They were subsequently presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in Laredo. Meanwhile, a fourth person, Daniel Zavala Ramos, is awaiting extradition after being detained in early August.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division highlighted the complexity of the criminal network and the joint efforts undertaken to dismantle these organizations. "This case demonstrates the ability of Joint Task Force Alpha and its domestic and international law enforcement partners to dismantle the most lethal human smuggling networks," he told the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment reveals a detailed smuggling operation stretching from October 2021 through February 2023, where smugglers coordinated travel arrangements, often dangerously, and provided coached narratives to illegal aliens to recite if apprehended. All defendands, if convicted, face a life sentence and a potential $250,000 fine.
The operation supports the goals of Operation Take Back America, aimed at protecting communities from violent crimes linked to these criminal networks. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Day and Mary Lou Castillo, along with Senior Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman, are handling the prosecution.
