A Mexican national living illegally in the U.S. has been sentenced to over 10 years in prison for the vehicular homicide of Washington State Patrol Trooper Christopher Gadd. Raul Benitez-Santana, 33, was convicted in a Snohomish County courtroom earlier this month and received a sentence of 125 months in prison and 18 months of community custody.
Trooper Christopher M. Gadd, 27, was killed in a high-speed crash on Interstate 5 near Marysville, Washington, in March 2024. Raul Benitez-Santana, a 33-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, now faces charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. According to authorities, Benitez-Santana was driving over 100 mph while under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when he struck Trooper Gadd’s parked cruiser on the shoulder of the freeway at approximately 3 a.m.
An illegal alien accused of killing Washington State Trooper Christopher Gadd failed to convince a judge to throw out the case. The defense argued that prosecutors improperly worked with federal immigration officials, allegedly violating Washington’s sanctuary state law.
