Undocumented Mexican Sentenced for Carjacking Postal Truck in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – In a stunning turn of events, an undocumented Mexican citizen, Wilber Castellanos Hernandez, 33, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for his audacious carjacking of a U.S. Postal Service truck in Salt Lake City.

Hernandez’s brazen actions began when he stole the postal vehicle and threatened its employee with a knife, prompting a high-speed chase that ended with law enforcement using GPS technology to apprehend him. According to court documents, on February 5, 2024, Hernandez had no qualms about pointing a knife at a postal worker before fleeing the scene.

U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow didn’t mince words, sentencing Hernandez to an additional 36 months’ supervised release after his prison term. The judge also ordered $2,828.89 in restitution for the damage caused to the postal vehicle and missing equipment.

The case was a joint effort between the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and an FBI Task Force Officer from the Salt Lake City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah led the prosecution.

This incident is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across America. Launched on May 26, 2021, PSN strengthens efforts to foster trust and legitimacy in our neighborhoods, support community-based organizations, set strategic enforcement priorities, and measure results.

For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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