Story perspectives

Two Guatemalan Smugglers Plead Guilty in Fatal Border Crash

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigators secured guilty pleas from Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala and Alberto Marcario Chitic, two Guatemalan smugglers tied to the December 9 2021 tractor-trailer crash at the Guatemala-Mexico border.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the crash shows open-border policies let smugglers profit from migrant deaths.
Joint Task Force Alpha, a Justice Department and DHS partnership, has secured 458 arrests and 408 convictions of smuggling leaders.

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Story summary

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigators secured guilty pleas from Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala and Alberto Marcario Chitic, two Guatemalan smugglers tied to the December 9 2021 tractor-trailer crash at the Guatemala-Mexico border.
DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said the crash shows open-border policies let smugglers profit from migrant deaths.
Joint Task Force Alpha, a Justice Department and DHS partnership, has secured 458 arrests and 408 convictions of smuggling leaders.