California man accused of human smuggling in southern Utah

ST. GEORGE — A California man has been arrested in southern Utah and accused of being paid to transport undocumented immigrants.

Hector Pec Tecum, 50, of Los Angeles, was charged Thursday in 5th District Court with three counts of human smuggling, a second-degree felony.

On Wednesday, a Washington County sheriff's detective working with a Department of Homeland Security task force received a tip regarding a suspected human smuggling operation, according to a police booking affidavit.

Another agent who had recently arrested a group for investigation of immigration violations told the detective that the group "stated they had paid the driver to transport them from California to various destinations across the United States," the affidavit states.

One person "stated he paid Pec Tecum $500 for transportation to Florida to avoid deportation. He explained that upon entering the United States, he was taken to a stash house where he was instructed to wait for his transport," according to the affidavit.

A second man told investigators he went to Los Angeles hoping to find a ride to Colorado. He was approached by someone who "stated he knew someone who could provide transport to Colorado for $200" and gave the man Pec Tecum's number, the affidavit states.

After Pec Tecum was taken into custody and questioned, he admitted he "was actively transporting the occupants from California to Denver, Colorado, having departed California at approximately (4 p.m.) on Nov. 10. He charged each passenger $300 for the trip. He retained a portion of the collection to cover fuel costs and kept the remainder as personal profit and payment for the transport," according to the affidavit. "When asked if he knew the passengers were in the United States illegally, Pec Tecum claimed one occupant possessed a visa, but explicitly stated, 'I wouldn't be transporting them if they weren't illegal.'"