Robert J. "Bob" Troester U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
On April 28, 2025, in Oklahoma City, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced that Jose Paxtor-Oxlaj, a 45-year-old Guatemalan national, has pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. This development follows a federal Grand Jury's indictment on September 17, 2024, for illegal reentry after a previous deportation.
Paxtor-Oxlaj was involved in a vehicle accident near Elk City, Oklahoma, on November 21, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of six passengers, including five children. A seventh passenger was critically injured. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that Paxtor-Oxlaj was ordered to be removed by an Immigration Judge on June 29, 2010, and was subsequently removed to Guatemala on July 9, 2010. Investigators determined that he did not have permission to reenter the U.S. following his deportation.
U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester commented, “Six individuals would be alive today, including five children, and another would not have been critically injured, if this defendant did not illegally reenter the United States after his deportation.” He further stated, “His failure to comply with our immigration laws has resulted in horrific and tragic consequences which can never be undone. I applaud the federal and state law enforcement officials and prosecutors for their efforts with this case.”
On March 21, 2025, Paxtor-Oxlaj admitted he was knowingly present in the United States without obtaining the required consent from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. His sentencing is scheduled in federal court in approximately 60 to 90 days.
Paxtor-Oxlaj was also convicted in Beckham County District Court on six counts of first-degree manslaughter and one count of causing an accident with great bodily injury without a valid driver's license in case number CF-2023-257. He received a four-year sentence in state prison.
The investigation involved HSI, ICE, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Hale and Elizabeth Joynes. For more details, one can refer to public filings.
