A Tucson teen, Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death.
According to the Department of Justice, on August 9, 2024, near Arivaca, United States Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Tahoe with fake license plates, on suspicion that the driver, Lopez-Ozuna, was engaged in human smuggling. Instead of yielding to law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna sped up and fled, crashing and rolling the Tahoe.
Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were ejected from the vehicle during the crash. One person died and three others sustained serious injuries.
A conviction for any one of the charges – Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death – carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.