ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Omar Ozuna-Berneda , 49, a Cuban national and lawful permanent resident living in Florida, was arrested following a high-speed pursuit on July 15, 2024. According to court documents, Border Patrol agents observed him driving a white tractor-trailer on New Mexico State Road 26 near Deming toward Hatch. The vehicle had been previously associated with other smuggling attempts that were unsuccessful.
(Context: Based upon the travel route, the driver was likely trying to circumvent a Border Patrol Checkpoint on I-25 between Las Cruces and Hatch.)
When agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Ozuna-Berneda led them on a dangerous 22-mile pursuit up SR-26, swerving into oncoming traffic to evade spike strips and driving on the shoulder of the highway. He eventually stopped and ran from the truck near Hatch, New Mexico, blocking both lanes of traffic. Border Patrol agents later arrested him hiding in the brush several miles away.
Inside the trailer, Border Patrol agents found 31 migrants, including an unaccompanied 8-year-old child, locked inside. Ozuna-Berneda admitted during questioning that he was transporting them from Las Cruces to Albuquerque in exchange for payment.
Ozuna-Berneda was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison for human smuggling conspiracy. After completing his prison sentence, Ozuna-Berneda will serve three years of supervised release.
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