Man pleads guilty to smuggling-related charges over Texas deaths of 53 migrants in tractor-trailer

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — One of six men charged in Texas over 53 migrants who died last year in a sweltering tractor-trailer has pleaded guilty to smuggling-related charges. Prosecutors said Monday that Christian Martinez faces up to life in prison at sentencing in January. It’s the first conviction for the U.S. government over the tragedy in San Antonio, where the truck was found on a remote back road. The trailer had no air conditioning in the sweltering Texas heat, and when it was opened, 48 migrants from Mexico and Central America were already dead. Five more died at hospitals. David Shearer, an attorney for Martinez, declined to comment on the plea.