Oklahoma City, OK – Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, the man convicted of causing a crash that killed six people near Elk City in 2023, has pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States after a previous deportation.

Federal authorities confirmed that Paxtor-Oxlaj, a 45-year-old Guatemalan national, had been deported in June 2010 and later returned to the U.S. without authorization. He entered the plea this week and will be sentenced in federal court within 90 days. He faces up to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry.

The crash occurred on November 21, 2023, at the intersection of Route 66 and Oklahoma Highway 34 in Beckham County. Paxtor-Oxlaj was driving a 2015 Toyota Sienna when he collided with a 2021 Ford F-250. Six passengers in the Sienna were killed, including five children. A seventh passenger, a 4-year-old girl from Camden, New Jersey, was critically injured.

The victims were identified as:

• 23-year-old Kimberly Sloresvila Xol-Ehub

• 26-year-old Rutilia Tzud-Xol

• 35-year-old Geremias Choc-Saqui

• A 6-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy from Camden, NJ

• A 16-year-old boy from Oklahoma City

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Paxtor-Oxlaj was arrested after being treated for arm injuries at Great Plains Regional Medical Center. He was initially charged with six counts of first-degree manslaughter in Beckham County District Court. The driver of the Ford F-250 was uninjured.

Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol began reviewing Paxtor-Oxlaj’s immigration history following the crash. A fingerprint match confirmed his prior deportation.

The case is part of the Department of Justice’s effort to prosecute immigration offenses that result in serious public safety consequences.

Sentencing will take place before U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones.