DEL RIO, Texas — Ten people face criminal charges related to a human smuggling incident that resulted in a fatal crash in Del Rio in March, according to a press release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Federal officials said Veronica Torres-Mendez, 34, was arrested on Nov. 3 at a residence in Austin without incident and charged with human smuggling resulting in death. She is the 10th and final defendant in an 11-count indictment involving human smuggling resulting in death, officials said in the release.
The following have also been charged with one count of conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens: Sebastian Tovar, 25, of Toledo, Ohio; Nicolas Mondragon-Gonzalez, aka “Chayo” and “Flaco,” 33, of Austin; Veronica Torres-Mendez, 34, of Austin; Jennifer Oralia Davis, aka “Paypa,” 40, of San Antonio; Ruben Junior Rodriguez-Jaimes, 19, of Bastrop, Texas; Lauren Michelle Malmquist, aka “Mama” and “Lala,” 32, of Round Rock, Texas ; Eduardo Rivera Benitez, aka “Lalo” and “Casper,” 23, of Bastrop; Marco Antonio Hernandez, aka “Temo,” 19, of Paige, Texas; and Jose Eli Rodriguez, 21, of Austin.
According to court documents, on March 15, Tovar was driving a Dodge Ram near Del Rio when a DPS trooper attempted to stop the vehicle. U.S. officials said Tovar tried to evade law enforcement and eventually crashed the vehicle into oncoming traffic. Eight people who were in the truck died from injuries sustained from the crash, and one person was seriously injured. All nine were noncitizens, U.S. officials said. In addition, two U.S. citizens were seriously injured in the head-on collision when Tovar struck their vehicle.
After the crash, Border Patrol encountered a Ford F-150 stopped in traffic near the crash site. Border Patrol directed the truck driver to turn around and subsequently all occupants fled the vehicle, absconding into nearby brush. Border Patrol were able to locate 12 noncitizens who ran from the truck. After interviewing two of the noncitizens, Border Patrol determined the occupants of the Dodge and Ford were part of a human smuggling operation that was illegally transporting 20 noncitizens into the U.S.
U.S. officials said that all defendants face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to transport noncitizens. Tovar, Mondragon, Torres, Davis, Rodriguez-Jaimes, Malmquist and Benitez face a maximum sentence of life in prison for transportation of noncitizens resulting in death charge. Tovar faces a maximum 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy to transport and the transportation of noncitizens resulting in serious bodily injury charges. Mondragon, Torres, Davis, Rodriguez-Jaimes, Hernandez, Jose Rodriguez and Luna face up to 10 years in prison for each count of transportation charged.
If convictions result, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Banister, of the Western District of Texas, is prosecuting the case.
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