TUCSON, Ariz. – A young driver and his teenage guide have pleaded guilty to their roles in a rollover accident that resulted in the death of a passenger in southern Arizona.
Matthew Dylan Ramirez, 20, of Tempe, Arizona, and Jesus Madrid-Varela, 19, of Mexico, both pleaded guilty to Conspiracy and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death.
According to the indictment, in May 2021, Madrid-Varela smuggled three undocumented noncitizens into the United States by guiding them through the southern Arizona desert on foot. The next day, Ramirez picked up and transported Madrid-Varela and the three undocumented noncitizens in his vehicle with the intent to smuggle them further into the United States.
While driving, Ramirez passed a Tohono O’odham Police officer who believed Ramirez was speeding. The officer attempted to stop Ramirez’s vehicle but was unsuccessful because Ramirez was driving over 100 miles per hour. Ramirez lost control of the vehicle and it rolled several times, ejecting all four passengers. One of the passengers, a 36-year-old woman from Mexico, was pronounced dead at the scene.
After his arrest, Ramirez admitted that he was recruited through Snapchat by a smuggling organization that was going to pay him $1,000 for driving the undocumented noncitizens to Phoenix.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Tohono O’odham Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Wright, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for November 1, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps. Ramirez faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Madrid-Varela pleaded guilty with a plea agreement and faces 36 to 57 months in prison.
The case number is CR-21-01394-TUC-JGZ (EJM), and the release number is 2022- 128_Ramirez_Madrid-Varela.
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Violent Crime|Human Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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