Mexican Migrant Kills Guatemalan Migrant in Rollover Crash near Border

If he survives, a Mexican national involved in a human smuggling attempt will face murder charges following a fatal crash that left a Guatemalan dead on Wednesday, Texas Department of Public Safety officials stated. The Mexican man, illegally present in the U.S., is himself in critical condition following a police pursuit that ended in a rollover.

Texas DPS spokesman Lt. Christopher Olivarez told Breitbart Texas that the driver of the pickup truck smuggling 11 migrants is himself an illegal alien. He explained there has been a trend in recent months where migrants are smuggling other migrants. Many of these situations led to police pursuits and fatal crashes.

A Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office deputy observed a pickup driving at a high rate of speed run a traffic light in an area known for human smuggling at about 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Breitbart Texas reported. The deputy attempted to stop the driver who took off and attempted to lose the deputy on a dirt road near La Joya, Texas.

The driver lost control and rolled the vehicle, ejecting all 12 people from the truck. One person is reported dead at the scene. All others were transported by ambulance to local hospitals.

The driver, a 23-year-old Mexican national, and two Salvadoran migrants are in critical condition, Olivarez stated. If the driver survives, he is likely to face multiple charges relating to human smuggling leading to the death of a migrant.

The decedent is identified only as a 32-year-old Guatemalan national illegally present in the U.S. Olivarez said investigators have identified the migrant but his name is being withheld pending notification of family members.

While the migrants were mostly citizens of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, Olivares reported that one migrant is from Poland and another is from Romania. Two migrants are listed as John Does at this time.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the investigation into the crash and death. Breitbart Texas reached out to the Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office for additional information. The office declined to make a statement. Texas DPS officials are expected to release additional information later on Thursday.