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Driver involved in deadly Brownsville human smuggling crash charged

Driver involved in deadly Brownsville human smuggling crash charged
1 hour 19 minutes 7 seconds ago Tuesday, April 14 2026 Apr 14, 2026 April 14, 2026 3:26 PM April 14, 2026 in News - Local
Source: KRGV
Cynthia Dominique Gonzalez (Mugshot courtesy of the Cameron County jail)

The driver involved in a deadly rollover crash during a human smuggling attempt near Brownsville has been charged.

According to  a criminal complaint obtained by Channel 5 News, 20-year-old Cynthia Dominique Gonzalez was identified as the driver of the vehicle involved in the Sunday crash. Cameron County jail records show she is in custody on multiple charges of collision involving death and collision involving serious bodily injury.

Gonzalez's bond was set at a $170,000 bond.

RELATED STORY: One person in custody after Border Patrol chase ends in deadly crash near Brownsville

The criminal complaint also identifies a second individual, Fernando Alejandro Rivera-Rojas, as the foot guide involved in the incident.

The incident occurred on April 12 at around 12:30 a.m. Border Patrol agents noticed a vehicle driven by Gonzalez making "several atypical driving patterns consistent with practices used by vehicles attempting to pick up undocumented migrants," according to the complaint.

Agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop when the Yukon fled at a high rate of speed, according to the complaint. Agents lost sight of the vehicle but later found it was involved in a rollover crash.

Authorities conducted a search of the area and found four individuals hiding in the brush, and one individual was declared dead at the scene.

One of the migrants identified Rivera-Rojas as the foot guide and Gonzalez as the driver, according to the complaint. Rivera-Rojas admitted to smuggling the migrants into the U.S. and guiding them up the road to be picked up by the vehicle.

Federal court records show Rivera-Rojas is being held in federal custody without bond. His next court hearing is set for Wednesday, April 15.

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