DENVER, Colo. — Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, the undocumented truck driver jailed for causing a deadly semi-truck crash on US 285 near Conifer in June 2023, has been deported back to Mexico, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Cruz-Mendoza was convicted in connection to the crash that killed 64-year-old Scott Miller and sentenced to one year in jail. However, after serving just eight months, he was released and immediately taken into ICE custody.

According to ICE, Cruz-Mendoza had been illegally present in the U.S. at the time of the crash and had been previously removed from the country 12 times, with an additional four voluntary returns to Mexico since 2002 — totaling 16 separate instances.

“ICE Denver officers removed Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, a criminal alien, to Mexico, April 16,” ICE said in a statement. “Cruz has past convictions for DUI, possession of drugs, careless driving resulting in death, and careless driving resulting in injury.”

At the time of the fatal wreck, Cruz-Mendoza was operating a semi-truck for Monique Trucking, a California-based company. Following an investigation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered the company to cease all interstate and intrastate operations on July 2, 2023.

The case has drawn widespread attention due to Cruz-Mendoza’s long history of illegal entries and prior convictions, raising questions about oversight in the commercial trucking industry and immigration enforcement.

Source: Denver7 News