Tucson Man Indicted for Deadly Human Smuggling-Related Crash Near Arivaca Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona Byline: Zach J. Stoebe Dateline: Tucson, Arizona Date: 18 September 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime Topic: Chevrolet Tahoe

TUCSON, Ariz. – Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, 18, of Tucson, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on charges of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, stemming from a deadly crash last month.

On August 9, 2024, near Arivaca, approximately five miles north of the international border, United States Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Tahoe with fake license plates, on suspicion that the driver, Lopez-Ozuna, was engaged in human smuggling. Instead of yielding to law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna sped up and fled, crashing and rolling the Tahoe. Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven undocumented noncitizens, all of whom were ejected from the vehicle during the crash. One person died and three others sustained serious injuries.  

A conviction for any one of the charges - Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person Resulting in Death - carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Homeland Security Investigations- Tucson, Custom and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Desiree Chery and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-24-06035-TUC-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-123_Lopez-Ozuna

# # #

For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

Updated September 18, 2024

Press Release Number: 2024-123_Lopez-Ozuna