Guatemalan Driver Sentenced to 24 Months for Fatal Crash Re-entry

OKLAHOMA CITY – The grim headlines are all too real for Oklahoma, as Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, 45, from Guatemala, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison. His illegal reentry into the United States after being deported is compounded by his role in a catastrophic vehicle accident that resulted in six fatalities and one critically injured passenger.

Paxtor-Oxlaj was at the helm of the vehicle that crashed near Elk City on November 21, 2023. The tragedy unfolded with six passengers, including three children, perishing on the spot. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) unearthed Paxtor-Oxlaj’s previous removal order from the United States to Guatemala in 2010. He had reentered the country without permission.

On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury indicted Paxtor-Oxlaj for illegal reentry after his prior deportation. His plea of guilty on March 21, 2025, admitted his knowledge of being in the United States without proper consent. Paxtor-Oxlaj was also convicted of six counts of first-degree manslaughter and one count of causing accident with great bodily injury without a valid driver’s license in Beckham County District Court. He received a four-year state prison sentence.

The sentencing hearing yesterday saw U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick impose the 24-month federal prison term, which will run consecutively to his state sentence. The court emphasized Paxtor-Oxlaj’s exploitation of others in illegal status and his despicable conduct.

This case is a testament to the efforts of HSI, ICE, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and Elizabeth Joynes prosecuted the case. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and violent crime.

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