PHOENIX – A 26-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to more than a decade in federal prison following a fatal human smuggling attempt in the Arizona desert.
Jorge Adan Fontes-Garcia, of Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on August 5 to 130 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Bringing an Illegal Alien into the United States Resulting in Death. The sentence also covers a violation of supervised release from a previous conviction for reentering the U.S. illegally.
In August 2023, Fontes-Garcia led a group of eight undocumented individuals on foot across the border near Tacna, Arizona. U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended seven of the migrants, but the eighth was later found dead in the desert, the victim of heat-related exposure.
Federal prosecutors said the case underscores the dangers of human smuggling and the disregard many smugglers have for the safety of those they guide. “This case demonstrates that human smugglers often have little regard for those entrusted to their care,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
Border Patrol officials echoed the warning, highlighting the deadly risks. “Human smuggling results in numerous deaths every year,” said Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre of the Yuma Sector. “This sentence sends a clear message… we will arrest you, and you will be held accountable.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on combating illegal immigration and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
