Texas human smugglers convicted

People died from suffocation in the airless truck

A jury in Texas has convicted three people over what is seen as America's deadliest immigrant-smuggling attempt.

Nineteen immigrants died from heat exhaustion and suffocation after being left in the trailer of a lorry near Houston in May 2003.

Victor Sanchez Rodriguez, Emma Sapata Rodriguez and Rosa Sarrata Gonzalez were convicted of conspiracy to harbour and transport illegal immigrants.

They also were found guilty of other counts and could face life in prison.

The jurors deliberated for more than 13 hours over four days before reaching a verdict on Wednesday.

At one point they told the presiding judge they were deadlocked only to be sent back to reconsider.

Defence lawyers had argued that their clients were minor players in a scheme orchestrated by others.

Trapped in trailer

In May 2003, more than 70 men, women and children from Mexico, central and south America were crammed into the back of the lorry to be ferried from the Mexican border across Texas.

People began to struggle for air as temperatures rose inside the airless compartment.

The 17 would-be immigrants were dead by the time the trailer was discovered abandoned at a truck stop in Victoria, some 100 miles (160km) south-west of Houston; two others died later.

Among the victims were a five-year-old boy and his father.

This was the third trial of individuals connected to this incident, involving what the prosecution said were at least three separate rings of smugglers.