Federal prosecutors charged a Mexican man Tuesday with alien smuggling stemming from a March 2 incident that saw 13 migrants die in a horrific car crash.
Jose Cruz Noguez, a legal immigrant to the U.S. from Mexico, is accused of being the organizer of the attempt, which saw two SUVs burst through a hole in the border wall.
One SUV with 19 people caught fire, though they all escaped injury. The other SUV, which had seats taken out so 25 migrants could be piled on top of each other, was T-Boned in an intersection, costing the lives of 13 people.
Another smuggling suspect whom agents nabbed earlier this month fingered Mr. Cruz, telling investigators he’d known Mr. Cruz for several years, had been working for him for months and was even approached about driving one of the vehicles that fateful day, for $1,000 per migrant.
Investigators had the tipster record a phone call with Mr. Cruz where he admitted he had people cut the hole in the border fence. He also said he was smuggling 60 people in the two vehicles, and the drivers were going to make $28,000.
Investigators further tracked down records on Mr. Cruz’s Toyota Tacoma and placed him near the site of the border breach on the night of March 1, and matched Mr. Cruz’s phone to a contact in one of the people known to be involved in the smuggling incident.
Mr. Cruz was arrested late Monday as he reentered the U.S. from Mexico at the Calexico Port of Entry.
He faces smuggling conspiracy and aiding and abetting charges.
He is being held until a detention hearing on Monday.
“These smuggling networks seek maximum profit by moving as many people as possible across the border with zero regard for their safety and well-being,” said Randy Grossman, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. “Cramming dozens of people into eight-passenger vehicles and driving recklessly to avoid detection shows an utter disregard for human life.”
According to the tipster, Mr. Cruz had asked him to buy tools to cut the fence, with plans to ship the equipment into Mexico.
The hole was cut in older fencing erected following the passage of the Secure Fence Act under President George W. Bush.
It was not one of the new sections erected during the Trump era, which are more fortified and tougher to cut through.
The two vehicles were captured on surveillance video barreling through the hole on March 2.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.