TEMPE, Ariz. — A Valley man has pleaded guilty in court to partaking in a human smuggling operation that ended in the death of a 36-year-old woman from Mexico.
Matthew Dylan Ramirez, 20, of Tempe has pleaded guilty to crimes committed last May in Arizona and could be sentenced to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Arizona.
Ramirez told investigators he had been recruited by a smuggling organization through Snapchat to transport a group of undocumented migrants to Phoenix for $1,000.
On May 22, 2021, Ramirez picked up four people who had been walking through the Arizona desert and proceeded to drive north.
A police officer with the Tohono O'odham Nation attempted to stop Ramirez and the defendant continued driving at speeds exceeding 100 mph, prosecutors say.
Ramirez eventually lost control of his vehicle, causing it to roll several times and ejecting its passengers. One of the individuals, a 36-year-old woman from Mexico, died at the scene.
Jesus Madrid-Varela, 19, of Mexico has also pleaded guilty for his involvement in the smuggling incident and faces nearly five years in prison. Both defendants will be sentenced on Nov. 1.
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