A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty on Apr. 7 to charges related to a deadly human smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people and injuries to over 100 others, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Daniel Zavala Ramos, also known as Dany ZR, admitted his role in organizing a scheme that transported at least 160 people—many from Guatemala—through Mexico toward the United States. The operation ended tragically when a tractor-trailer carrying the migrants crashed near Tuxtla Guiterrez, Chiapas, Mexico on Dec. 9, 2021.
Court documents state that Ramos and his co-conspirators recruited both adults and unaccompanied minors from Guatemala for illegal entry into the United States. They arranged travel using various vehicles and collected payments from those seeking passage. In some cases, they provided unaccompanied minors with scripted responses for U.S. immigration authorities.
After being extradited to the United States in 2025, Ramos now faces sentencing scheduled for July 7 before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. He could receive up to life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Counter Proliferation Investigations Group with support from HSI offices in multiple countries and cities as well as assistance from Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center and other agencies.
The Justice Department coordinated these efforts through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which targets transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling across Central America and beyond. JTFA has resulted in more than 450 arrests internationally, over 395 convictions within the United States, significant jail sentences imposed on offenders, and asset forfeitures according to its records.
Operation Take Back America is another initiative involved in this case; it aims at eliminating cartels responsible for violent crime through coordinated federal resources under the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program.
The Justice Department serves as the principal federal agency for law enforcement according to its official website. It includes a workforce of more than 115,000 employees operating throughout the United States and internationally as noted by DOJ. The department maintains operations across all states as well as over fifty countries worldwide according to its website.
Attorney General Merrick Garland assumed leadership of the department after being sworn in on March 11, 2021 according to DOJ, overseeing major prosecutions including cases such as the Oklahoma City bombing as per DOJ records. The department’s core focus remains upholding rule of law while ensuring national safety and safeguarding civil rights as detailed by DOJ.
