Glendale man sentenced to over 3 years for role in deadly human smuggling incident

PHOENIX — A Glendale man was sentenced to over 3 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in a deadly human smuggling operation that took place last year, authorities said.

Steven Beltran-Lugo, 19, helped transport two undocumented migrants in March 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

The sentencing came after Beltran-Lugo pleaded guilty on Oct. 1, 2024, to conspiring to transport undocumented migrants for profit and putting a person’s life in jeopardy, which led to death.

Glendale man involved in deadly human smuggling operation sentenced

The deadly human smuggling operation took place on March 6, 2024, after Beltran-Lugo and his co-defendant, Cesar Velazquez-Munoz, picked up two undocumented migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border, prosecutors said.

Beltran-Lugo, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, spoke to a Phoenix-based smuggling coordinator on the phone during the pickup and as law enforcement began to follow the vehicle.

After authorities ordered the noncitizens to get out of the vehicle, one of the migrants jumped out while it was moving at around 45 mph.

Velazquez-Munoz then sped up the vehicle, at which point the second migrant jumped out and hit the pavement hard, triggering a brain hemorrhage and internal bleeding, prosecutors said.

The second migrant died from the injuries at a hospital two days later.

Velazquez-Munoz is scheduled for sentencing on March 31.

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