TUCSON, Ariz. – A trucker who transported illegal aliens and was involved in a crash with another semi-truck was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Moises Gabriel Castillo, Jr., 40, of Weatherford, Texas, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Castillo previously pleaded guilty after an indictment by a federal grand jury to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person, Causing Serious Bodily Injury and Resulting in Death.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona, on July 24, 2024, Castillo, an interstate truck driver, caused a collision between the commercial semi-truck he was driving and another semi-truck on Interstate 10 near Rita Road, in Tucson, Arizona.
Authorities say at the time, Castillo was transporting four passengers inside his truck who were later determined to be illegal aliens, unlawfully present in the United States. During the crash, one passenger was ejected and two others, one of whom was 16 years old, suffered serious bodily injury. The ejected passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. 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.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
