Unlicensed semi truck driver in fatal crash deported 16 times

JEFFERSON COUNTY, CO – A semi truck driver, Ignacio Cruz Mendoza, was arrested following a deadly crash on Highway 285, where he was reportedly speeding before losing control. Cruz Mendoza, who has been deported or left the U.S. voluntarily 16 times in the past 22 years, was discovered to be in the country without proper documentation at the time of the accident. This series of deportations started with his arrest in Oregon in 2002 on a low-level drug trafficking charge.

Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) have indicated that besides the drug charge, they are not aware of any other criminal charges against him in local jurisdictions. Colorado State Patrol noted that at the time of the crash, Cruz Mendoza was operating the vehicle without a commercial driver’s license. The tragic incident resulted in the death of a 64-year-old man and serious injuries to another individual.

Cruz Mendoza is currently held on a $50,000 cash or surety bond. He has the option to post bail through a bondsman. ICE has made a request to Jefferson County officials regarding Cruz Mendoza’s custody, reflecting ongoing legal and immigration-related complications following the accident.

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