Texas truck driver sentenced for I-10 crash that killed undocumented passenger during human smuggling attempt

A Texas truck driver was sentenced to prison for a crash that claimed the life of a person that he was transporting during a human smuggling attempt in 2024.

Moises Gabriel Castillo, Jr., 40, was sentenced to 57 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to an August 19 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Castillo pleaded guilty to a charge of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person, Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Resulting in Death.

The charge was issued as a result of a July 24, 2024, crash that took place on I-10 near Rita Road in Tucson.

Castillo was operating a commercial semi truck when he collided with another semi truck on the interstate.

At the time of the crash, officials say that Castillo was transporting four people who were present in the U.S. illegally.

One of the passengers died at the scene after being ejected from the truck.

Two other passengers suffered major injuries in the crash.

“The surviving aliens stated they were paying to be smuggled further into the United States, and Castillo admitted that he expected to be paid for transporting them,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.