A human smuggler allegedly attempting to flee authorities killed two innocent victims after a head-on collision in southern Texas. In addition to the two innocent motorists that died, five illegal immigrants were rushed to a local hospital.

The incident occurred when Sullivan City Police tried to pull over a Ford Expedition, but the driver instead triggered a high-speed chase along U.S. Highway 83. Sullivan City radioed other law enforcement agencies for help after suspecting a human smuggling effort was underway. The vehicle veered into opposite traffic and crashed into a Nissan sedan near the intersection of U.S. 83 and Farm-to-Market Road 2221 in La Joya. The driver of the suspect vehicle managed to get out of the crashed SUV and slip into the nearby brush. Federal authorities rushed to the scene to perform a manhunt.

According to information provided to Breitbart News by the Texas Department of Public Safety, state troopers took over the investigation of the fatal wreck. DPS identified the two deceased individuals as 69-year-old Aurora Chavez and 45-year-old Leonel Martinez. Both were uninvolved in the chase, authorities revealed. The five passengers of the Ford Expedition who are believed to be in the U.S. illegally were rushed to a local hospital. Their medical statuses remain unknown.

The western areas of the Rio Grande Valley, including La Joya and Sullivan City, have historically been prime drug and human smuggling areas as cartels seek out areas without physical barriers such as fencing or walls. The region has become home to almost daily high-speed chases.

The former police chief of La Joya was convicted on two drug smuggling charges for his role in helping the Gulf Cartel operate in Texas, Breitbart News reported.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.