Five people were charged with federal felonies today in connection with that wreck of an SUV that was packed with illegal immigrants that crashed in Dimmit County on Sunday, killing five people, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Federal prosecutors say all five are facing top count felonies which carry the possibility of the death penalty, including transporting illegal immigrants resulting in death. All five remain in federal custody.
Officials revealed there were actually three SUV's filled with illegal immigrants passing through Dimmit County on Sunday. Two of them pulled over when the Border Patrol approached them, but the third tried to speed up and get away. That's the vehicle that spun out of control near the town of Big Wells, and flipped over.
The driver of the vehicle that crashed, Jorge Monsavais, 20, is among those charged.
The other four were driving or passengers in the other two vehicles.
A total of 23 illegal immigrants were being transported in the three vehicles, including 12 in the vehicle that crashed. 21 of the 23 were from Mexico, the other two were from Honduras.
Six of the illegal immigrants are held as material witnesses in the federal charges against the five individuals.