El Paso man charged after 2 die during failed immigrant smuggling attempt

An El Paso man has been charged in connection to a deadly rollover after he allegedly tried to smuggle a small group of undocumented immigrants into the U.S.

Robert Acevedo, 27, of the 500 block of Myra in El Paso, Texas, is facing two counts of Homicide by Vehicle, a criminal complaint obtained by ABC-7 states.

The court document states a Border Patrol agent patrolling the area near Highway 9 the night of April 6, 2019 observed the driver of a Chrysler Minivan stop and pick up several individuals believed to be in the country illegally. The agent activated his patrol unit’s lights and sirens and began pursuing the Chrysler minivan.

The driver of the vehicle, identified in the criminal complaint as Acevedo, “willfully refused to bring the vehicle to a stop when given a visual or audible signal to stop,” the document states.

The chase happened on Highway 9 between mile markers 131 and 142 in New Mexico. Customs and Border Protection says Border Patrol Agents put out a spike strip to attempt to deflate the van’s tires, but Acevedo swerved to avoid the spikes.

At that point, CBP said, Acevedo lost control of the vehicle, cauising it to roll several times. Two individuals riding in the miniman were thrown from the vehicle and died due to the injuries they sustained, CBP said.

Nine undocumented immigrants were apprehended after the wreck, CBP said.