Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, a 20-year-old from Tucson, was sentenced on Mar. 10 to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Resulting in Death. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez.
The case stems from an incident that occurred on Aug. 9, 2024, when U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Lopez-Ozuna near Arivaca, Arizona, about five miles north of the border. Instead of stopping for law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna fled at high speed and crashed the vehicle almost immediately.
Authorities said Lopez-Ozuna was transporting seven undocumented individuals at the time of the crash. All passengers were ejected from the vehicle during the rollover; one person died and three others suffered serious injuries as a result.
The investigation into the incident was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson.
The case is identified as number 24-CR-6035-TUC-AMM (EJM).
