In Tucson, Arizona, Manuel Victor Gastelum, 27, of Douglas, received a 130-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, according to prosecutors.
The US Attorney’s Office reported that Gastelum pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced last week to 130 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Additionally, he received a 12-month prison term for violating federal probation conditions stemming from a prior smuggling conviction.
Prosecutors detailed that on December 4, 2020, Gastelum had picked up eight undocumented noncitizens near the border with the intention of transporting them further into the United States. While driving westbound on Interstate 10 near Vail, Gastelum reportedly drove recklessly, causing the vehicle to roll multiple times. Tragically, a 42-year-old male passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died as a result of the incident.
Following the crash, Gastelum fled on foot but was apprehended later that morning several miles away.
Gastelum had previously been convicted in 2019 of Transportation of Aliens for Profit Placing Life in Jeopardy.
During that incident, he fled from law enforcement and crashed at a gas station while transporting undocumented noncitizens. As a consequence, Gastelum was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Notably, he violated the conditions of his supervised release by committing this latest offense just three months after being released from federal prison.