(Image Credit: IMAGN)
San Diego, California – Sergio Josue Palomera of Chula Vista was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison Wednesday for his role in a deadly high-speed smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two undocumented immigrants. The sentence, delivered by U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson, reflects the court’s strong condemnation of the reckless and fatal choices Palomera made in attempting to evade law enforcement.
On the morning of October 22, 2024, Palomera picked up a man and a woman near the U.S.–Mexico border in Otay Mesa with the intent to smuggle them into the country. His movements were monitored by Border Patrol agents using remote video surveillance, who witnessed the pick-up and quickly dispatched an agent to intercept the vehicle.
What followed was a brief but deadly pursuit. According to court documents and Palomera’s plea agreement, he initially slowed his vehicle as if preparing to yield to the trailing Border Patrol car. But instead of pulling over, he suddenly accelerated, ran a red light, and sped back onto State Route 905, pushing his car to over 110 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone.
Within moments, Palomera lost control of the vehicle. It rolled over, ejecting the female passenger, who died at the scene. The male passenger, critically injured, was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to a traumatic head injury later that evening.
Federal prosecutors described Palomera’s conduct as a stark example of the dangerous and dehumanizing logic behind illicit smuggling operations—where human beings are treated not as lives to be safeguarded, but as cargo to be transported, regardless of the risk. “This defendant treated human lives as disposable cargo,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Two people paid the ultimate price.”
Judge Robinson echoed that sentiment, calling the case “very aggravated,” and noting the deep personal loss that rippled outward from the crash. “This crime has deprived a little girl of her mother, has deprived that little girl’s father of his wife, and has deprived another family of their son,” Robinson said.
The case also highlights the increasingly high-stakes and tragic consequences of human smuggling along the U.S.–Mexico border. Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey Stalnaker emphasized the importance of the sentence, stating that it shows the very real risks people take when they entrust their lives to smugglers promising passage across the border.
