A New York man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a high-speed smuggling pursuit that injured 11 migrants, including a 17-year-old juvenile.
Peter Diaz-Vasquez, 28, of Bronx, was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, a Kendall County Sheriff’s deputy attempted a traffic stop on July 18, 2022, when the deputy observed Diaz-Vasquez driving a pickup truck at 106 mph on I-10. Diaz-Vasquez led the deputy on a nine-mile pursuit, which included driving 110 mph through a 65 mph construction zone with numerous highway workers present.
The pursuit ended when Diaz-Vasquez attempted to abruptly exit the highway, wove through traffic on the access road, and crashed over a curb into a fence. Six passengers fell out of the truck’s open bed as the truck rolled onto its side.
Diaz-Vasquez remained buckled in the driver’s seat until he was removed by law enforcement. He had been transporting 11 undocumented noncitizens at the time of the crash, two of whom were airlifted to a hospital after sustaining serious head injuries. Each of the migrants sustained serious bodily injury to their upper and lower bodies, including broken arms and legs, as well as head trauma.
One of the smuggled migrants suffered a severe spinal injury requiring endotracheal intubation and did not regain consciousness for 7-9 days. Diaz-Vasquez admitted that he traveled from New York by plane and rented a vehicle after being hired to pick up an unknown number of undocumented noncitizens in or near Uvalde. He said he would be paid $800 per person to transport them to a location at or near San Antonio or Austin.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas said, ‘This case clearly highlights the extreme dangers posed by human smuggling. This defendant packed 11 passengers in his vehicle, endangering them, along with everyone on the road that day, with complete disregard for human safety.’
Homeland Security Investigations and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Brown prosecuted the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Human Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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