A federal grand jury has indicted an 18-year-old Tucson man in a fatal crash that authorities say occurred while he was smuggling people into Arizona.
Samuel Lopez-Ozuna has been charged with several human-trafficking counts related to the deadly Aug. 9 crash near Arivaca, a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona says.
Prosecutors say Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven people in a Chevrolet Tahoe about five miles from the border when Border Patrol agents tried to stop him. Lopez-Ozuna fled and crashed, leading to all seven passengers being ejected from the vehicle, the release said.
One person was killed in the wreck and three were critically injured, the release said.
If convicted, Lopez-Ozuna could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, the release said.
