SAN DIEGO — Two men who led a maritime smuggling journey that ended in the death of a fellow migrant off La Jolla pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court Wednesday.
Victor Alfonso Soto Aguilar and Jose Ramon Geraldo Romero admitted to co-piloting the panga-style boat that landed near Children's Pool in the predawn hours of May 20, according to the plea agreement.
Both men pleaded guilty to four human smuggling charges each — a deal that was contingent on them entering the plea at the same time.
The men, both migrants themselves, agreed to lead the 16-person expedition of fellow Mexican nationals in lieu of paying their own smuggling fees of thousands of dollars each.
According to the plea agreement, the men admitted the boat was overloaded, causing the engine to temporarily stall in the open ocean midway through the overnight trip.
As the boat neared Marine Street Beach, the men stopped about 80 yards from shore and ordered the passengers to remove their life jackets and jump into the water, without regarding any of the passengers' ability to swim, the plea agreement states. The men assured many of the passengers that the water was shallow.
It was before sunrise when Border Patrol agents spotted the boat and people in distress in the water. San Diego lifeguards rescued eight people and detained two more who had made it safely to the beach.
The boat then continued to drift a quarter-mile north before beaching. Five more people were apprehended. The body of Rogelio Perez Gutierrez was found in the surf.
The 13 surviving migrants — all men — told investigators they had paid between $12,000 to $15,000 to be smuggled into the U.S., according to the complaint.
The migrants identified Soto and Geraldo from a photo lineup, the complaint states.
The plea agreement also states that Soto and Geraldo did not provide the passengers with adequate food and water for the maritime journey.
Three of the charges the men pleaded guilty to carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years, which is what both defense attorneys and prosecutors have said they will recommend to the judge. Sentencing is set for December.
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