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TX man pleads guilty in deaths of 53 migrants in sweltering temps

January 17, 2025
An east Texas truck driver pleaded guilty to charges in connection with the deaths of 53 migrants found inside a semitrailer with no air conditioning during scorching temperatures. The 2022 incident is the deadliest human smuggling attempt across the U.S.-Mexico border in American history.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday, Jan. 16, that Homero Zamarono Jr. pleaded guilty to several charges including “conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death.”

Zamorano is set to be sentenced on April 24. He faces the possibility of life in prison, according to DOJ.

Authorities said Zamorano drove a truck that he and other men knew had a broken air conditioner with nearly 70 migrants inside the vehicle’s trailer for three hours from Laredo, Texas, to San Antonio, Texas.

Investigators said temperatures were in the triple digits as migrants cried for help and tried to escape.

Prosecutors said the migrants in the truck’s trailer were unable to call authorities because the human smugglers had taken their cellphones.

According to an indictment, those involved in the operation spread an unknown powder around the trailer. Investigators said this was to prevent patrol dogs from detecting the smell of human cargo at border checkpoints.

The bodies of 48 migrants were found by police when the truck reached San Antonio. Sixteen others were taken to the hospital, where five more people died.

Authorities also charged Christian Martinez in the case.

Officers arrested both Zamorano and Martinez shortly after police found the migrants inside the truck’s trailer.

Martinez has also pleaded guilty to multiple smuggling-related charges.

Investigators said the men worked with human smugglers from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, sharing routes, guides and stash houses as well as trucks and trailers.

Prosecutors said the migrants were charged $15,000 each to be smuggled across the U.S. border. The cost covered three attempts.
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Texas first responders warned to watch for Tren de Aragua gang violence

October 9, 2024
A series of high-profile arrests of Tren de Aragua gang members has occurred in major cities across Texas. The arrests are raising concerns about public safety and the safety of first responders.

In San Antonio, a massive raid over the weekend of Oct. 5, targeted 300 apartment units following reports of drug activity, human trafficking, and threats to apartment employees. Nineteen people were arrested, including four confirmed gang members.

The threat of gang violence prompted the San Antonio Firefighters Union to issue a warning to its members at two fire stations near a known gang activity hotspot, just a few blocks from a migrant resource center.

The union advised firefighters to “keep your head on a swivel” and “watch your six.” Members of the firefighters union respond to emergency calls unarmed and without police escort, according to the union.

San Antonio’s police chief vowed to crack down on gang activity.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, authorities confirmed that a suspect in a violent gang robbery is a Tren de Aragua member.

In late September, Wilmer Gonzalez allegedly orchestrated an attack on a woman, following her into her garage, pistol-whipping her, threatening to sever her fingers, and stealing her valuables. He crossed the southern border in April 2023 and was released with a court date, according to homeland security sources who spoke with The New York Post.

In Houston, a wanted Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested on Monday, Oct. 7, the same day he was expected to appear in court for his asylum hearing. The member was wanted for theft and identified by a tipster through tattoos linked to the gang.

As part of the state’s ongoing efforts to combat gang violence, the Texas Department of Public Safety is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of known or suspected members of Tren de Aragua.

Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared the gang a terrorist organization.
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- Raid targeting Tren de Aragua gang sees 20 arrested in Texas
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Crime in border cities is lower than non-border cities, according to FBI data

October 3, 2024
New statistics from the FBI’s 2023 Uniform Crime Report revealed U.S. border communities are safer than big cities in states that do not border Mexico. The border cities had fewer murders and overall violent crime, which includes murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Cleveland had 1,700 crimes committed per 100,000 people, New Orleans had 1,300 and Washington, D.C., saw about 1,050.

The national average in 2023 was 363 crimes per 100,000 people. Texas border communities were far lower than those larger cities and in many cases below the national average.

Laredo had 425, Brownsville has 391, El Paso had 336, and McAllen had 144 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

The data was provided to Straight Arrow News by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who represents the state’s 28th Congressional District, which goes from San Antonio all the way to the southern border.

“I’ve lived my entire life and raised my family along the southern border,” Cuellar said in a statement. “Every year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation releases crime statistics that show how crime rates are lower in border communities compared to non-border cities across the United States.”

The Texas border cities also had a significantly lower murder rate.

New Orleans had about 53 murders per 100,000 people, Washington and Cleveland were both at nearly 39. The national average in 2023 was 5.7 murders per 100,000 people.

The Texas border communities were all below that. El Paso and Laredo had the highest number of murders at five and about four, respectively.

“Our border remains safe and secure because of the efforts from our federal, state, and local law enforcement,” Cuellar stated. “It is imperative that our officers continue to be supported. As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fund programs that support our law enforcement and protect our communities.”

Nationwide, crime decreased in 2023. Overall violent crime went down by 3% compared to the year before, while murders decreased by more than 11%.
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Idalia, now a hurricane, nears Florida: The Morning Rundown Aug. 29, 2023

August 29, 2023
Idalia has strengthened to a hurricane on its way toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, and Toyota has stopped all production at its plants in Japan. These stories highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023.

Idalia expected to hit Florida as Category 3 hurricane

Less than 24 hours away from projected landfall in Florida, Idalia has strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane. The storm is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds topping 100 mph.

President Joe Biden spoke with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Monday, Aug. 28. A federal emergency disaster has already been declared in the state in order to expedite federal resources.

Warmer-than-average water in the Gulf of Mexico has grown the size of the storm. It’s expected to hit Florida early on Wednesday, Aug. 30 and impact a wide central portion of Florida. This includes major cities like Tampa and Orlando.

As Idalia approaches Florida, Hurricane Franklin is at Category 4 strength over the Atlantic. It’s projected to miss the southeastern coast of the United States.

Trial date set for March 4 in Trump federal election case

Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers will have until March 4, 2024 to prepare their defense in the federal trial over his alleged illegal efforts to overturn the 2020 election. That is the same date Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was hoping to hold Trump in a Georgia courtroom to stand trial in his state election case. There is no official trial date set in that case yet.

March 4 is also the day before Super Tuesday, when voters in 14 states will vote in the primaries. On March 25, 2024, the former president will be due in a New York courtroom where his criminal trial related to hush money payments is set to begin. Trump’s federal classified documents case is set to begin trial on May 20, 2024.

1 dead in shooting at University of North Carolina

A shooter opened fire on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill on Monday, Aug. 28, killing one faculty member and causing the school to go into lockdown for hours. Police said the shots were fired inside the school’s chemistry building around 1:00 p.m.

Sirens sounded, and students and staff were told to remain inside. Arriving officers found the faculty member, who has not been identified, inside a school lab.

“I’m grieved to report that one of our faculty members was killed in this shooting,” UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, who also released a statement, said Monday. “This loss is devastating and the shooting damages the trust and safety we so often take for granted in our campus community.”

Police said witness information helped officers track down the suspected shooter. According to local reports, the suspect was arrested a short time later in a residential neighborhood near campus.

The name of the suspect has not been released. A motive for the shooting is under investigation.

Toyota plants in Japan shut down due to computer problems

All 28 assembly lines at Toyota’s 14 plants in Japan had to shut down due to a production system malfunction. The company said the problem was with its computer system that deals with incoming auto parts.

A spokesperson for the automaker said they do not suspect it to be a cyberattack. According to Reuters, the Japanese plants account for roughly 33% of Toyota’s global production.

It’s not clear when production will resume. The shutdown comes as Toyota rebounds from a semiconductor shortage that stalled production.

American Airlines fined after passengers stuck on tarmac

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it is fining American Airlines $4.1 million for unlawfully keeping passengers stuck inside planes on the tarmac for lengthy periods of time. It’s the heftiest fine the government agency has ever handed down over tarmac delay violations.

Airlines are prohibited from keeping passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours. American Airlines violated that rule 43 times between 2018 and 2021, including one delay on the tarmac in San Antonio that lasted six hours.

The airline released a statement saying the 43 incidents represent a small number of the nearly 8 million flights taken during that time period.

In July of 2023, it was a Delta Air Lines plane that passengers were on when their flight was delayed for hours. Some passengers reportedly passed out due to hot and uncomfortable conditions while stuck on the tarmac.

NASA exploring idea of Mach 4 passenger jet

NASA has begun investigating the possibility of a passenger plane traveling four times faster than the speed of sound, or around 3,045 miles per hour. The agency said it is studying about 50 established commercial air routes.

Since the U.S. and other nations have banned all civilian supersonic flights over land 50 years ago, NASA’s study only covered trans-oceanic travel. The agency has issued two year-long contracts to companies like Boeing to develop concept designs to make supersonic air travel a reality.
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Russia attempts to move on from Wagner Group revolt: June 26 rundown

June 26, 2023

The Wagner Group staged a revolt against Russia, and a bridge collapse in Montana sent a hazardous freight train into a river. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Monday, June 26, 2023.

Dust settles in Russia following Wagner group revolt

Russia’s defense minister made his first public appearance since a mercenary group fighting for Russia in its war with Ukraine turned on Russia. Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to march on Moscow Saturday. The Wagner Group was even able to take over a Russian city before a deal with Russia’s government to end the revolt was reached less than 24 hours later.

Under the deal, Prigozhin will move to Belarus. Neither he nor his Wagner Group mercenaries will be prosecuted.

Some analysts called the revolt the greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than 20 years in power. They added it may create a whole new dynamic regarding the war in Ukraine.

“The fact that this deal appears to have given Prigozhin a sort of free pardon to retire into Belarus and that the Wagner mercenaries will be absorbed into regular Russian army is perhaps a surprise, but it’s also why I think this saga isn’t finally over,” former UK ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Sunday, June 25. “Because I find it very hard to believe that Prigozhin will have a quiet peaceful retirement in Belarus.”

North Koreans rally against the United States

More than 120,000 people in North Korea took part in a massive anti-U.S. rally. The rally came as the country observed the 73rd anniversary of the start of the Korean War.

The war was triggered by a North Korean surprise attack. However, the North continues to blame the U.S. for provoking the war.

The weekend rally came at a time of swelling North Korean nationalism, as the country boasts an expansion of its nuclear weapons and missile programs. Since 2022, North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un has fired more than 100 missiles to test the country’s ability to conduct nuclear strikes on the U.S. and South Korea.

Hazardous train plunges into river after bridge collapse

A bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed in Montana, causing a freight train carrying hazardous materials to plunge into the water below. The train cars were carrying hot asphalt and molten sulfur.

Officials temporarily shut down drinking water intakes downstream. Small communities use reservoirs full of treated water from the Yellowstone River. All water treatment plants have since resumed operations.

The cause of the bridge’s collapse is under investigation. The river had been full with recent heavy rains, but it’s unclear if that was a factor.

Tornadoes in the Midwest, extreme heat in the South

Video captured a fast-moving tornado as it tore through residential buildings just south of Indianapolis. At least one person died and about a dozen homes were damaged in the storm system. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power overnight Sunday and into Monday morning.

A destructive tornado ripped through buildings in Indiana, as a powerful storm ravaged several counties south of Indianapolis, leaving at least one dead and another injured, officials said. https://t.co/SHDGenGTFR pic.twitter.com/shITg7yjgw
— ABC News (@ABC) June 26, 2023

In Minnesota and North Dakota, there were reports of as many as 18 tornadoes.

Meanwhile in the South, tens of millions of Americans are under excessive heat warnings. In Texas, temperatures remain in the triple digits. The Central Plains is expected to experience a similar heat wave later this week.

D.C. airports ground flights over air traffic control issue

Flights at Washington D.C.’s two major airports were paused Sunday evening for about an hour. There was a problem at a major air traffic control facility on site.

Operations were restarted after repairs to a communications power panel were made. The Federal Aviation Administration offered no further details on what caused the need for repairs.

The aviation industry has been heavily scrutinized after a series of mishaps. These include near-misses on the tarmac and outages shutting down operations for hours.

A San Antonio airport employee was ingested into the engine of a Delta airplane on Friday, June 26. This is the second type of this incident in six months after another crew worker was ingested into a plane at an Alabama airport on Dec. 31, 2022.

Ford vehicles under investigation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Ford vehicles that could roll away even when placed in park. In 2022, Ford recalled nearly 300,000 Explorer SUVs and added a software update to fix the glitch.

NHTSA said its received complaints even after repairs were made. One complaint came from a driver who struck a utility pole. The driver said their car would slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 to 40 miles per hour.

The original recall covered certain 2020 through 2022 Explorer models. Ford said they are working with NHTSA to resolve the matter.

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