TUCSON, Ariz. — A Texas man was indicted Oct. 30, by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to transport noncitizens and four counts of transportation of noncitizens.
All five charges allege that the offenses were committed for financial gain, placed in jeopardy the life of any person, caused serious bodily injury, and resulted in death. Homeland Security Investigations and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are conducting the investigation in this case.
According to the criminal complaint filed July 24, Moises Gabriel Castillo, of Texas, was driving a commercial semi-truck on Interstate-10 near Rita Road, Tucson, when he collided with another semi-truck from the rear. The collision caused Castillo’s semi-truck to skid down Interstate-10. One passenger was ejected, an adult male who was pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement and emergency services found three additional passengers nearby in the brush, including a 16-year-old. All three individuals and the decedent were determined to be undocumented noncitizens without permission to be present in the United States. The individuals stated they were paying to be smuggled further into the United States. Two of the undocumented noncitizens involved in the collision underwent surgery for their injuries. The Pima County Medical Examiner determined the decedent’s cause of death was due to blunt force injuries of the head.
A conviction for either Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death or Transportation of Illegal Aliens Resulting in Death carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.