A Douglas man has been handed a 130-month prison sentence for his role in an illegal alien smuggling operation that resulted in a death. Manuel Victor Gastelum, 27, received the sentence after pleading guilty to charges of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death. The sentencing by United States District Court Judge Rosemary Márquez took place last week, according to an official press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona.
In addition to the sentence for the smuggling that resulted in death, Gastelum was sentenced to 12 months in prison for violating the terms of his previous federal probation from a prior alien smuggling conviction. While driving recklessly on Interstate 10 near Vail on December 4, 2020, Gastelum lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll multiple times and ejecting a 42-year-old male passenger, leading to his death at the scene. Gastelum's previous conviction involved him fleeing from law enforcement and crashing at a gas station while transporting undocumented noncitizens in 2019 for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The tragic incident highlighted the risks associated with the smuggling of persons across the border. Judge Márquez, during the sentencing, noted that the severity of the sentence was necessary "to protect the public," underscoring the grave nature of the offense. The investigation was carried out by Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson, with assistance from the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Gastelum's criminal acts have once again placed him in custody, only three months post his last release from federal prison—violating the supervised release conditions. Several other passengers were also transported to the hospital with serious injuries, attesting to the severity of the reckless driving incident. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, was responsible for handling the prosecution in a case showing the perilous outcomes of such smuggling ventures.
