Jury finds man guilty in deaths of 10 illegal immigrants

The man behind the wheel of a vehicle that rolled four times and killed 10 illegal immigrants has been found guilty for his role in the accident that occurred a year ago near Yuma Proving Ground.

Adan Pineda-Doval, 21, of Michoacán, Mexico, was found guilty late Thursday afternoon by a federal jury in Phoenix of 10 counts of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death, one count of transportation of illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy and one count of re-entry after deportation.

Pineda-Doval was transporting 20 illegal aliens in a vehicle to Los Angeles and caused a rollover collision Aug. 7, 2006, on Martinez Lake Road near U.S. Highway 95 while trying to elude Border Patrol agents. Several of the occupants were ejected. Ten of the vehicle's occupants were killed, including a pregnant woman whose unborn baby also did not survive.

The jury deliberated approximately one hour to find him guilty of all charges.

“Alien smugglers have a callous disregard for the value of human life," said U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Knauss. "We will continue to aggressively pursue these types of alien smuggling cases, in which lives are jeopardized for personal profit.”

"This is yet another case in which alien smugglers place people in danger to maximize their profits, resulting in the loss of ten lives," said Alonzo Pena, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office of investigations in Arizona. "ICE would like to recognize the professionalism of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol in securing the crime scene. Thanks to their actions on scene and the efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office, we were quickly able to bring Pineda-Doval to justice."

The case was tried before U.S. District Court Judge Stephen M. McNamee. Pineda-Doval will remain in custody while awaiting sentencing before McNamee on Jan. 28.

Pineda-Doval could receive a life sentence for each count of transportation of illegal aliens resulting in death. The charge of transportation of illegal aliens placing lives in jeopardy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The charge of re-entry after deportation carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

After being confronted by a Border Patrol agent who was patrolling a dirt road used to bypass the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on U.S. Highway 95, Pineda-Doval failed to stop the vehicle despite pleas of people inside the vehicle. When another agent attempted to stop the vehicle using a controlled tire deflation device, Pineda-Doval abruptly swerved the vehicle, traveled off the roadway and swerved again in the opposite direction, causing the vehicle to roll.

Pineda-Doval was arrested after witnesses identified him as the driver of the 1995 Chevrolet Suburban involved in the crash. An expert who testified during the trial confirmed that the rollover was caused by Pineda-Doval swerving the vehicle.

The incident was the second time Pineda-Doval tried to escape from law enforcement while smuggling illegal aliens. According to court documents from the U.S. District Court in Yuma, he drove a truck from Yuma to Quartzsite on June 25, 2005, and was pursued by Border Patrol agents and Arizona Department of Public Safety officers.

Pineda-Doval was officially charged only with illegal entry as a result of that incident. He served six months in jail for the misdemeanor charge and was released.