TUCSON, Ariz. — A local area man was sentenced late June to 130 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his involvement in human smuggling resulting in death. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
“Not only did this human smuggler conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws for his own profit, but he did so with a callous and reckless disregard for the life of a migrant who had entrusted him with their care,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola. “Thanks to our partner agencies, we were able to hold him accountable for his actions and he will be spending the next 130 months behind bars.”
Manuel Victor Gastelum, 27, of Douglas, pleaded guilty to transportation of illegal aliens for profit resulting in death Jan. 31. Gastelum also was sentenced to 12 months in prison for violating conditions of his federal probation from a prior human smuggling conviction.
On Dec. 4, 2020, Gastelum picked up eight undocumented noncitizens near the border to transport them further into the United States. While driving westbound on Interstate 10 near Vail, Gastelum began driving recklessly and lost control of the vehicle, rolling it multiple times. A 42-year-old male passenger was ejected from the vehicle and subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. Several other passengers were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Gastelum fled from the crash on foot but was apprehended later that morning several miles away.
Gastelum had previously been convicted of transportation of aliens for profit placing life in jeopardy in 2019 after he fled from law enforcement and crashed at a gas station while transporting undocumented noncitizens. For that conviction, Gastelum was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He violated his conditions of supervised release by committing this new offense three months after his release from federal prison.
When imposing the 130-month sentence, Judge Márquez emphasized that a long sentence was necessary to protect the public.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson handled the prosecution.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.