Accused people smuggler Neil Edwin Valera charged in deaths of three Chinese migrants found in boot of his BMW in San Diego
- San Diego police find bodies of man, woman and her 15-year-old son in boot
- They had been smuggled from Mexico two days earlier
A US citizen has been charged in the smuggling deaths of three Chinese migrants who were found in the boot of his BMW two days after he crossed the US-Mexico border, including a mother and her 15-year-old son, authorities said Tuesday.
Neil Edwin Valera, 50, pleaded not guilty to encouraging aliens to enter the US resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Federal prosecutors say the bodies were discovered August 11 when San Diego police got a 911 call from someone reporting a foul odour and blood dripping from Valera’s car, parked in San Diego. Inside the boot, they found a man, the woman and her son.
Video recordings show Valera driving into the United States at San Diego’s San Ysidro border crossing two days earlier.
He used a lane for “trusted travellers”, a time-saving privilege for pre-screened motorists and pedestrians who get less scrutiny.