Legal/Law/Criminal Justice and Reform

Human Smugglers Sentenced After Deadly Car Chase That Hit 130mph

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Two Mexican individuals were sentenced for smuggling illegal aliens in what resulted in a fatal car chase in Texas, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Texas said in a statement Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Francisco Javier Quintanilla-Alcocer, 39, to 87 months and an additional 24 months in prison and Brandon Cibriano-Gonzalez, 22, to 74 months, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. The incident occured in October 2021 when Cibriano-Gonzalez guided a group of 10 illegal aliens into vehicles driven by Quintanilla-Alcocer and Orlando Andres Garcia, who is yet to face sentencing after admitting guilt.

When law enforcement officers tried to conduct traffic stops on the vehicles, Quintanilla-Alcocer and Garcia refused to yield and led authorities on a car chase up to 130 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Eventually, Quintanilla-Alcocer drove onto a dirt road in Mission, Texas, where the vehicle rolled and crashed into a fence.

Three individuals were ejected, two of whom died, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. A third illegal alien succumbed to his injuries three months later.

“Two migrants died on the side of a dirt road in Mission, Texas, because of a smuggler’s reckless attempt to avoid arrest,” U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said in a statement regarding the sentencing.

“Human smugglers – they don’t care about anyone’s life but their own, and after leading authorities on a car chase, crashing and rolling a vehicle full of migrants, Quintanilla-Alcocer fled the scene, leaving those he transported for dead. Remember this: human smugglers – you are not welcome in the Southern District of Texas, and this office will continue its efforts to hold these criminals accountable with convictions and long sentences,” Hamdani added.

Garcia instructed Quintanilla-Alcocer to drive faster during the pursuit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Once released from prison, Wuintanilla-Alcocer and Cibriano-Gonzalez are expected to face removal proceedings, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.