by | Published
WEST TEXAS — A federal judge has sentenced a human smuggler to life in prison after his fourth illegal smuggling trip ended in a fatal collision that claimed the lives of a 7-year-old girl and her grandmother, federal authorities announced.
U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix handed down the life sentence against the defendant, identified in court records as Comer, following his guilty plea to federal alien trafficking charges resulting in death and firearm possession.
According to court documents, Comer admitted that the fatal operation was his fourth human smuggling run for an illicit trafficking network managed by a relative.
Comer coordinated pickup coordinates through the encrypted messaging application WhatsApp before retrieving 11 undocumented migrants near Sheffield, Texas. Comer acknowledged knowing that the individuals were unlawfully present in the United States and admitted that he transported them with the explicit intent to further their unlawful presence.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered a loaded Springfield XD9 9mm handgun lodged beneath the brake pedal of Comer’s vehicle. Comer acknowledged possessing the weapon and admitted he believed it was stolen at the time. Federal prosecutors confirmed the firearm had previously moved across interstate and foreign commerce prior to Comer acquiring it.
On June 18, Comer entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, 11 individual counts of transportation of an illegal alien resulting in death, and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
Judge Hendrix sentenced Comer to life imprisonment on Counts One through Twelve, along with five years of supervised release. On Count Thirteen (possession of a stolen firearm), Comer received a 120-month (10-year) sentence to run concurrently with the life terms, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $1,300 special assessment.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey R. Haag, West Texas Branch Chief for the Northern District of Texas, under U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted the primary investigation with support from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Crockett County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Border Prosecution Unit, and the 112th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The crash took the lives of 7-year-old Emilia Brooke Tambunga and her grandmother, Maria “Coke” Tambunga. Following the sentencing hearing, the Tambunga family—represented by Emilio Tambunga, Elisa Tambunga, and Gin and Tim Jespersen—released a joint statement expressing gratitude to federal prosecutors and law enforcement teams:
"There are no words that can adequately express the unbearable impact of losing Mom and Emilia. The killing of Mom and Emilia is immeasurable... Losing our seven-year-old daughter, granddaughter and niece, Emilia Brooke Tambunga and Mom Coke, left us only with fierce commitment and determination to enact sweeping change and to hold this animal accountable.
Today is not about closure—because a loss of this magnitude does not simply close. This Texas team stood up as our voices—their voices, Mom’s and Emi’s—and they carried the facts into the courtroom and pursued justice. For that, we will always be grateful."
