A 19-year-old man from Mexico said he did it. He took part in a smuggling run. That run killed two people in Laredo. Federal prosecutors say his name is Gerardo David Zarate Martinez.

He rode along in an SUV. A driver sped away from police. The SUV crashed into a utility pole. Two people died.

The case shows how fast a smuggling run can turn deadly. This happens a lot in South Texas. Drivers packed with migrants often try to run from police. They think they are being followed, so they hit the gas. Riders can die when the truck or SUV crashes.

The crash happened January 8 in Laredo. Police spotted a white SUV. They believed it was hauling migrants. The driver did not stop. He hit the gas instead. He ran through several red lights. Then he crashed into a utility pole.

Two migrants were riding in the back seat. They did not survive the crash. Police found them not breathing after the SUV hit the pole. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. The press release does not name the two victims.

Zarate Martinez was not driving. He sat in the front passenger seat. A juvenile was behind the wheel, prosecutors say. Both of them ran from police after the crash. Neither one stayed to help.

Zarate Martinez admitted why he was there. Someone in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico offered to pay him. His job was to guide migrants north. He would lead them further into the United States. This was after they crossed the Rio Grande. He agreed to do it for money, prosecutors say.

He pleaded guilty on Monday. He faces two federal charges. One charge is conspiracy to transport migrants resulting in death. In plain terms, that means he helped move people illegally, and someone died because of it. The other charge is bringing three migrants into the country for money. A federal magistrate judge took his guilty plea. Her name is Diana Song Quiroga.

Sentencing is set for November 10. Zarate Martinez faces up to life in federal prison. That is the harshest punishment under the law. He could also get a fine. The fine could reach $250,000. He stays in jail until his sentencing date.

Laredo sits right on the Rio Grande. It is a busy crossing point. Many migrants cross there and head north into Texas. Smuggling drivers often try to run from police. They do this once they think a stop is coming. That choice puts everyone at risk. It puts the driver at risk. It puts the riders at risk too. The riders are often the ones paying to be smuggled. They have no say over the wheel.

Cases like this one show a hard truth. Smuggling runs can turn deadly fast. The people who die are often not the ones driving. They are riders. They paid money to reach the United States. They had no control over the SUV or the truck. They had no say when the driver hit the gas.

Three agencies worked this case together. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Texas Department of Public Safety all took part. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is handling the case. He works for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.

The press release does not say if the juvenile driver faces charges. That detail is still not clear. The case now moves toward sentencing. That hearing is set for November.

Until then, Zarate Martinez stays behind bars. His guilty plea is now on the record. The next step is sentencing, when a judge will decide how much of his life he spends in federal prison.