A man was sentenced to 16 months in prison on Monday for his role in a boat crash that killed four migrants off the coast of Del Mar in May.
Sergio Rojas-Fregoso was detained after a smuggling boat carrying 19 people flipped just north of Torrey Pines State Beach on May 5. The crash resulted in the death of four people—including a 14-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister—and injuries to many others.
Court records said Border Patrol agents found the 31-year-old Mexican national in Chula Vista later that night because he was driving a car that was spotted speeding away from the boat crash in Del Mar. Border Patrol agents found eight migrants missing from the boat in a getaway car, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Rojas-Fregoso previously pleaded guilty to knowingly transporting others in the country illegally and re-entering the country illegally following a deportation. He was charged alongside two other transport drivers, who are scheduled for sentencing next month.
According to federal prosecutors, Rojas-Fregoso was caught three times since Sept. 2022 being a foot guide for people trying to illegally enter the U.S. Immigration records revealed Rojas-Fregoso had been deported to Mexico on December 19, 2023.
“The defendant was part of an organization that took advantage of individuals that were desperate to come to the United States and to get them here under extremely dangerous conditions,” a prosecutor said. “And, in this case, the ultimate tragedy occurred and four people died when the vessel capsized.”
Speaking to the court, Rojas-Fregoso said he knew he made a mistake and was remorseful.
“As my attorney said, I have plans for my future so that I can go back to working and I can move forward
Because really, this is not the life I want for myself,” Rojas-Fregoso said.
Despite the plea for a lighter sentence, a judge ruled Rojas-Fregoso would spend 16 months behind bars because “the worst thing happened. Lives were lost – lives,” Judge Benjamin Cheeks said. “The court cannot ignore that part of the conspiracy, nor your involvement.”
Rojas-Fregoso’s sentencing comes on the heels of another suspected smuggling boat crash off the coast of Imperial Beach early Saturday. The U.S. Coast Guard said the boat was carrying at least nine people. Four people died.
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