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Laredo Man Pleads Guilty In San Antonio Human Smuggling Deaths

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John H. Wood Federal Courthouse in San Antonio

A 47-year-old man pleaded guilty for his involvement in the deaths of immigrants found in a trailer in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot last year.

Pedro Silva Segura is the second person to plead guilty in the incident. According to court documents, Silva was operating a stash house in Laredo for migrants who entered the country illegally. They would later be taken to other areas in the U.S. Silva, who also is a migrant in the country illegally, faces life in prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens resulting in death.

In July, 39 immigrants were found in an unventilated tractor trailer. Ten would die from heat related illnesses. More than two dozen others were transported to area hospitals.

At least five immigrants from Silva’s house were in the trailer driven by 62-year-old James Matthew Bradley Jr. Bradley was arrested in the early hours of July 23 after the migrants were discovered when one went inside the store and asked a Walmart employee for water.

Although nearly 40 immigrants were in the trailer, it’s estimated anywhere from 70 to 200 immigrants were in the trailer, according to some of the survivors.

Bradley pleaded guilty in October to transporting undocumented aliens resulting in death and is expected to be sentenced on March 26 in federal court.

Silva was indicted in September and pleaded guilty Thursday. His sentencing is scheduled for June 29. Both Silva and Bradley face life in prison.

Joey Palacios can be reached at Joey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules.

 

Joey Palacios can be reached atJoey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules