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Human smuggling attempt ends in deadly crash near Brownsville; 2 facing charges, records show

1 person was killed and 6 were injured in the crash, authorities say

FILE - A police vehicle flashes its lights in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) (Matt Rourke, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two people are facing charges after a human smuggling attempt ended in a deadly crash over the weekend near Brownsville, according to court documents.

Cynthia Dominique Gonzalez and Fernando Alejandro Rivera-Rojas are accused in the human smuggling attempt, the document states.

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On April 12, a Fort Brown Border Patrol agent conducting highway operations noticed a white GMC Yukon making several unusual driving patterns on Highway 4.

The document states it’s a common practice among vehicles attempting to pick up migrants along the road.

U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle. When agents activated lights and sirens, the document states the Yukon fled at a high rate of speed near FM 511 and Indiana Road in Brownsville.

Agents lost sight of the vehicle and continued to search the area. They later found the Yukon, which the document states had rolled over at FM 511 just south of the Highway 550 toll road.

Four people were found allegedly hiding in nearby brush.

One person found at the scene was pronounced dead. In an X post, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio said six people were also injured due to the crash.

A witness told authorities that Rivera-Rojas allegedly crossed the group into the U.S. and guided them up the road to get picked up. According to the document, the witness also identified Gonzalez as the driver of the Yukon.

In a post-arrest interview, the document states that Rivera-Rojas admitted to being the “foot guide” for the group and identified Gonzalez as the driver.

The investigation is ongoing.


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