A boat operator accused of smuggling undocumented immigrants in which three drowned near the Ocean Beach Pier will be sentenced on Dec. 6 after he pleaded guilty.
Court records show that Faustino Romero De La Cruz, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring in aliens that resulted in the drowning deaths of David Ramirez-Esteban, Jovanny Pava-Inzuza, and Eleobardo Garcia-Lopez on April 10, 2022.
Romero also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring in aliens other than a designated port of entry, transportation of aliens, and attempting to bring in aliens for financial gain.
His plea agreement indicates Romero faces a term of at least 18 years in federal prison. A boat captain in a similar smuggling venture a few years ago received 18 years in prison for three deaths of migrants who drowned as his boat fell apart in Point Loma.
There is no other information about the three people who died in the criminal file, such as where were they from or their ages or backgrounds. The passengers were believed to have paid between $10,000 and $18,500 per person.
“Never trust your life to a smuggler,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath when Romero was indicted in February. “Case after case demonstrates that smugglers are more interested in maximizing profits than safety, which all too often leads to tragic results.”
The nine passengers boarded a small panga-style vessel which was about 25 feet in length and powered by a single outboard motor at night, court records say. It was overloaded and was meant to only carry five people.
It was not equipped with navigation lights and not equipped with an emergency UHF/VHF radio. No passengers had life jackets and none of them had cold weather gear.
The boat capsized within a one-half nautical mile from the Ocean Beach Pier. One body was recovered at the OB Pier, but the other two bodies washed up to shore later, according to court records.
Romero pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Michael Berg and Judge James Simmons, Jr. will pronounce the sentence on Dec. 6.
Romero was detained without bail in the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
