Man Sentenced for Human Smuggling in Grand County, Utah
Miguel Angel Chay-Tiguila, a 32-year-old man, has been sentenced to three concurrent terms of five years to life in prison for aggravated human smuggling in Grand County, Utah. The sentencing follows his conviction on three counts of human smuggling, each involving a minor, by a Grand County jury in February 2026. The charges stem from an incident on June 11, 2025, when Tiguila was arrested during a traffic stop. Authorities discovered he was transporting seven individuals, including three minors aged 15 and 16, who were not legally present in the United States and were traveling without adult family members. The Utah Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the transportation was for commercial purposes. During the arrest, Tiguila was found with over $1,200 in cash and multiple cell phones.