A Peoria man has been sentenced to prison for a human smuggling attempt that resulted in death, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Cesar Abraam Velasquez-Munoz, 20, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 52 months in prison for his role in illegally smuggling two migrants in March 2024.

Velasquez-Munoz previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit.

On March 6, 2024, Velasquez-Munoz and his co-defendant, Steven Beltran-Lugo, picked up two migrants in the country without legal permission near the Mexican border with the intent to smuggle them further into the United States. Velasquez-Munoz drove the vehicle while he and Beltran-Lugo communicated with a Phoenix-based smuggling coordinator, the release said.

At some point, Velasquez-Munoz noticed Border Patrol agents following their vehicle and told the migrants to get out of the car. The first migrant jumped out of the moving car while it was traveling around 45 mph. Velasquez-Munoz then accelerated as the second illegal migrant attempted to exit the vehicle, causing him to violently strike the pavement, the release said. As a result, he suffered a brain hemorrhage and internal bleeding, ultimately succumbing to these injuries two days later in a hospital.