Rassian Nateray Comer, a Louisiana resident and U.S. citizen, was sentenced to life in prison on September 25 after a fatal crash in Ozona, Texas that killed four people while he was fleeing police during an illegal smuggling operation. The March 13, 2023 crash killed grandmother Maria Tambunga and her 7-year-old granddaughter Emilia Brooke Tambunga, as well as two of the 11 people Comer was smuggling from Mexico.
Comer was driving a vehicle with the 11 smuggled passengers when a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper attempted to stop him. Comer fled at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. During the chase, Comer streamed the pursuit on Facebook Live, showing his speedometer reading 105 mph. The chase ended when Comer ran a red light and struck Tambunga's pickup truck.
Comer was arrested at the scene. He later admitted that the crash was his fourth smuggling trip and that he possessed a stolen handgun found in his vehicle. On June 18, 2026, Comer pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death, 11 counts of transportation of an illegal alien resulting in death, and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said: "This case lays bare a heartbreaking human tragedy — a grandmother, a 7-year-old child and two Mexican nationals were all killed because of Mr. Comer's criminal and depraved actions."