Eswin Enrique Aquino-Lopez entered a guilty plea to transporting illegal aliens resulting in death, which in his case carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum punishment for the offense can be death, but prosecutors decided against seeking that penalty.
Aquino-Lopez, 23, a Guatemalan citizen, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5 by U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell.
The truck overturned on June 7 about 20 miles east of Hurricane on State Road 59, according to the Utah Highway Patrol.
Two Guatemalans who were among eight passengers died. They have been identified by the Guatemala Consulate as Senayda Solis Monzon, 37, of Retalhuleu, and Pedro Antonio Coycoy, 26, of La Libertad.
The survivors were from Guatemala and Mexico. All occupants of the pickup are believed to have entered the United States illegally.
One of the passengers, Marvin Eduardo Barrios-Socop, was accused of aiding in the transport of the group and also charged with transporting illegal aliens resulting in death. His case is pending; prosecutors also have decided not to seek the death penalty for him.
