PHOENIX - A 37-year-old former Eloy man was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in federal prison for transporting illegal immigrants.
Agustin Salas-Garcia was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Martone. Salas-Garcia pleaded guilty on Nov. 24 to transporting illegal aliens, accessory after the fact. A legal permanent resident at the time of the offense, he will be deported to Mexico after serving his sentence.


A pickup truck registered to Salas-Garcia was carrying at least 27 illegal immigrants April 27 while traveling in Arizona City.

The driver, later identified as the defendant's brother, Hector Salas-Garcia, failed to control his speed and the truck rolled over, killing four passengers.

The driver managed to leave the accident scene and Agustin Salas-Garcia admitted helping his brother leave the U.S. in order to avoid apprehension and punishment for his crime. Hector Salas-Garcia remains a fugitive.

When sentencing Agustin Salas-Garcia, Martone noted that "transporting illegal aliens is a dangerous business. One in which human beings are treated like cattle and are seriously at risk of injury and death and, of course, that is precisely what happened here."

The investigation was conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. The prosecutor was Lisa Jennis Settel, assistant U.S. attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.


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