Mexican man pleads guilty in smuggling crash where 13 died

Mar 21, 2023, 7:41 PM

EL CENTRO, Calif. (AP) — A Mexican man pleaded guilty Tuesday to coordinating a smuggling effort that left 13 people dead when their overloaded SUV was struck by a big-rig after crossing the border into California two years ago.

Jose Cruz Noguez, 49, of Mexicali, entered pleas in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to bring in undocumented migrants and three counts of bringing in undocumented migrants for financial gain, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement. He faces at least 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in June.

Prosecutors said Cruz organized a smuggling run on March 2, 2021, in which dozens of people were crammed into two modified sport utility vehicles that were driven into the United States through a breach cut in the international boundary fence.

One SUV, a GMC Yukon carrying 19 people, caught fire for unknown reasons on a nearby interstate after entering the U.S. Everyone escaped the vehicle and all were taken into custody by the Border Patrol, authorities said.

The other vehicle, a Ford Expedition carrying 25 people, was driving through California’s agricultural Imperial Valleywhen it was broadsided by a tractor-trailer hauling two empty trailers at an intersection near Holtville, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east of San Diego, authorities said.

The crash killed 13 people, including the driver, and left the rest with injuries, many of them major. A 15-year-old girl was among the injured.

Cruz was taken into custody after another suspected smuggler was arrested at a California border station two weeks after the crash.

Froylan Cortez Avalos, 49, of Mexicali also was charged in the case but remains a fugitive.

United States News

A 2023 Volvo C40 electric vehicle is displayed at a dealership, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Exeter, N...

Associated Press

The easiest way to get a $7,500 tax credit for an electric vehicle? Consider leasing.

DETROIT (AP) — Thanks to a boost from the government, leasing — not buying — is becoming the most affordable way to get your hands on an electric vehicle. Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act provided a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 to use toward an EV. Under the rules, a dealer can apply […]

7 hours ago

Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, wife of impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton, si...

Associated Press

Juror and spouse: Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton could vote in trial on husband’s impeachment

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — On the way to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton becoming a rising figure in the GOP, his wife, Angela, used to entertain crowds with a guitar and a song. “I’m a pistol-packin’ mama, and my husband sues Obama,” she sang at campaign events and Republican clubs in Texas. When it came […]

7 hours ago

Associated Press

Woman rescued from partially collapsed Iowa apartment building amid calls to delay demolition

A woman was rescued more than a day after a six-story apartment building partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, and after city officials pushed for it to be demolished, saying it was in “imminent danger” of coming down. Protesters urged for a delay, concerned that people could still be trapped inside. Protesters carried signs Tuesday morning […]

7 hours ago

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and members of the Biden family walk to the grave of the...

Associated Press

Biden attends memorial Mass to mark 8 years since son Beau’s death from brain cancer

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President death of his son Beau, by attending a memorial Mass and visiting his gravesite. Biden, his wife, Jill, and other family members prayed for Beau Biden during the Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, the Roman Catholic church where the president worships during weekends at his home near Wilmington, […]

7 hours ago

A worker stands next to a Tesla being charged in Beijing, Tuesday, May 30, 2023. China’s foreign ...

Associated Press

US ends probe into Tesla allowing video games while vehicles are moving, says feature was disabled

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. highway safety regulators have closed an investigation into Tesla allowing video games to be played on center touch screens while vehicles are moving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Tuesday that Tesla disabled the feature called “passenger play” with an online software update in December of 2021, […]

7 hours ago

Goats graze on dry grass next to a housing complex in West Sacramento, Calif., on May 17, 2023. Goa...

Associated Press

No kidding: California overtime law threatens use of grazing goats to prevent wildfires

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of goats munch on long blades of yellow grass on a hillside next to a sprawling townhouse complex. They were hired to clear vegetation that could fuel wildfires as temperatures rise this summer. These voracious herbivores are in high demand to devour weeds and shrubs that have proliferated across […]

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

SANDERSON FORD

Thank you to Al McCoy for 51 years as voice of the Phoenix Suns

Sanderson Ford wants to share its thanks to Al McCoy for the impact he made in the Valley for more than a half-decade.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Spinal fusion surgery has come a long way, despite misconceptions

As Dr. Justin Field of the Desert Institute for Spine Care explained, “we've come a long way over the last couple of decades.”

Mexican man pleads guilty in smuggling crash where 13 died