AP Photo/Eric Gay

James Matthew Bradley Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal alien smuggling charges in the connection with the deaths of 10 undocumented immigrants who perished while traveling in his sweltering-hot tractor trailer during the heat of the Texas summer.

In a late afternoon hearing Oct. 16 before a U.S. magistrate judge, Bradley plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death” and one count of “transporting aliens resulting in death.” Bradley was arrested in his truck that he'd parked in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot July 23. When law enforcement officers opened the back of his vehicle they found 39 people inside — ten of whom died from the 100-plus degree heat inside the trailer.

Bradley, 61, had faced the death penalty but his indictment Sept. 20 dropped the maximum punishment in the case down to life in prison. He faces a sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra on January 22, 2018.

Supporting documents filed in Bradley's case estimated that his trailer contained at least 70 and as many as 180 to 200 people during transport.
After his arrest, Bradley had initially claimed he was unaware he was carrying undocumented immigrants until he heard banging and shaking in his trailer and was overrun by people desperate to get out of the trailer. But Bradley later told investigators that six black SUVs were waiting to pick up the immigrants and scattered with them after his arrival.

“Today's admission of guilt by Mr. Bradley helps to close the door on one of the conspirators responsible for causing the tragic loss of life and wreaking havoc on those who survived this horrific incident,” said Shane M. Folden, the special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigation unit in San Antonio. “This case is a glaring reminder that alien smugglers are driven by greed and have little regard for the health and well-being of their human cargo, which can prove to be a deadly combination. HSI is committed to aggressively targeting human smugglers and smuggling organizations who continually victimize people for profit.”

Bradley's co-defendant, Pedro Silva Segura, 47, an undocumented individual residing in Laredo, Texas, also faces numerous federal alien smuggling charges for his alleged role in the scheme. Silva was arrested in Laredo, is in custody, and is awaiting transfer to San Antonio.

AP Photo/Eric Gay

James Matthew Bradley Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal alien smuggling charges in the connection with the deaths of 10 undocumented immigrants who perished while traveling in his sweltering-hot tractor trailer during the heat of the Texas summer.

In a late afternoon hearing Oct. 16 before a U.S. magistrate judge, Bradley plead guilty to one count of “conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death” and one count of “transporting aliens resulting in death.” Bradley was arrested in his truck that he'd parked in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot July 23. When law enforcement officers opened the back of his vehicle they found 39 people inside — ten of whom died from the 100-plus degree heat inside the trailer.

Bradley, 61, had faced the death penalty but his indictment Sept. 20 dropped the maximum punishment in the case down to life in prison. He faces a sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra on January 22, 2018.

Supporting documents filed in Bradley's case estimated that his trailer contained at least 70 and as many as 180 to 200 people during transport.
After his arrest, Bradley had initially claimed he was unaware he was carrying undocumented immigrants until he heard banging and shaking in his trailer and was overrun by people desperate to get out of the trailer. But Bradley later told investigators that six black SUVs were waiting to pick up the immigrants and scattered with them after his arrival.

“Today's admission of guilt by Mr. Bradley helps to close the door on one of the conspirators responsible for causing the tragic loss of life and wreaking havoc on those who survived this horrific incident,” said Shane M. Folden, the special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigation unit in San Antonio. “This case is a glaring reminder that alien smugglers are driven by greed and have little regard for the health and well-being of their human cargo, which can prove to be a deadly combination. HSI is committed to aggressively targeting human smugglers and smuggling organizations who continually victimize people for profit.”

Bradley's co-defendant, Pedro Silva Segura, 47, an undocumented individual residing in Laredo, Texas, also faces numerous federal alien smuggling charges for his alleged role in the scheme. Silva was arrested in Laredo, is in custody, and is awaiting transfer to San Antonio.