SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A man from Chula Vista was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison Wednesday for his role in a fatal high-speed crash that killed two undocumented immigrants he was attempting to smuggle across the border.
Sergio Josue Palomera, 23, was handed a 71-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson for human smuggling resulting in death — a charge stemming from an 2024 crash in Otay Mesa that ended a brief pursuit by U.S. Border Patrol.
According to prosecutors, Palomera picked up a man and a woman near the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa on Oct. 22, 2024. Border Patrol agents monitoring the area via remote video surveillance spotted the pickup and attempted to stop Palomera as he drove westbound on State Route 905.
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Court documents state that Palomera initially appeared to comply by pulling toward an offramp, but suddenly accelerated back onto the freeway, running a red light in the process. He reached speeds exceeding 110 mph before losing control of the vehicle, which rolled over and crashed…