Two Mexican citizens who federal prosecutors say captained a human smuggling boat that capsized last year off Southern California, resulting in the drowning deaths of four migrants, including two children, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to felony charges.
The defendants, Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna, 31, and Jesus Ivan Rodriguez Leyva, 37, were piloting the panga boat when it overturned on May 5, 2025, near Torrey Pines State Beach, sending 19 migrants into the Pacific Ocean, the authorities said.
Pangas are open boats that can carry people or drugs.
The migrants who were aboard the overcrowded vessel had paid the smugglers about $13,500 per person to be brought from Popotla, Mexico, to just north of San Diego, federal prosecutors said.
The smugglers told the migrants, many of whom were unable to swim, to remove their life jackets as they approached the coast of Del Mar, Calif., so they could quickly load into vehicles.
But the boat’s single motor failed about 200 yards offshore, causing the boat to capsize, investigators said.
Federal authorities identified the two adult migrants who died as Gorgonio Placido-Diaz and Marcos Lozada-Juarez. Their bodies were found on the beach, along with that of a 14-year-old boy from India, who was on the vessel with his parents and his sister. About 16 days later, a foot, which DNA testing later matched to a 10-year-old migrant who was on the boat, was discovered at the beach.
Five people in total were charged in connection with the smuggling operation; three have already pleaded guilty. Their sentences ranged from 10 to 21 months in prison.
During a hearing on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in San Diego, Mr. Leyva and Mr. Luna pleaded guilty to charges of human smuggling resulting in death, which carry a maximum penalty of death or life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
They also pleaded guilty to charges of human smuggling for financial gain, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison with a three-year mandatory minimum and $250,000 fine.
Knut Johnson, a lawyer for Mr. Luna, said in an email on Tuesday that federal prosecutors had decided not to seek the death penalty for his client and Mr. Leyva before reaching the plea agreement.
Mr. Johnson criticized statements made last May by Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary at the time, calling for the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty for Mr. Leyva and Mr. Luna.
“This case is a tragedy made worse by former Secretary Kristi Noem’s unprofessional and unwarranted comments,” Mr. Johnson said. “Without her interference, this case would have concluded months ago, bringing more timely closure to the victims’ families.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California did not immediately answer questions on Tuesday about how long a sentence it would seek.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 22.
Neil Vigdor covers breaking news for The Times, with a focus on politics.
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