A Honduran woman accused of leading the nation's deadliest smuggling operation pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges of conspiring to transport illegal immigrants in a manner that led to deaths.

In her plea, Karla Patricia Chavez-Joya, also known as Carla Chavez, acknowledged that her actions contributed to the deaths of 19 of the approximately 74 people smuggled in by an 18-wheeler though the Rio Grande Valley in May 2003. The trailer was abandoned at a truck stop near Victoria when the driver discovered that some of the immigrants had died.

Ms. Chavez, 26, faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Sentencing is set for Sept. 13 in Houston. The other 57 charges she faced were dropped in exchange for her guilty plea.

Jefferey Sasser, one of Ms. Chavez's attorneys, said after discussing all options with his clients, they decided she needed to take responsibility for her actions and cooperate with prosecutors.

There was no intent by Ms. Chavez to harm the illegal immigrants, Mr. Stasser said.

But, "If you are part of an agreement to harbor or transport or conceal illegal [immigrants] ... you are pretty much liable for anything that happens to these people," Mr. Sasser said. "You don't have to intend that these people get hurt or die.

Ms. Chavez has agreed to cooperate with authorities in the continuing federal investigation. Prosecutors said they would recommend a lighter sentence for Ms. Chavez if she cooperates fully in testimony against eight remaining defendants, including the truck driver, Tyrone Williams, who faces the death penalty.

"Ultimately, what sentence she gets will be up to the judge," Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Rodriguez said.

In her plea, Ms. Chavez told the court Monday that she was a member of an immigrant smuggling organization that illegally brought into the United States people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and other countries.

In a videotaped statement given after her arrest, Ms. Chavez told investigators she was involved with co-defendants Aberlardo Flores and Fredy Giovanni Garcia-Tobar in a smuggling conspiracy. She admitted having smuggled in other groups of illegal immigrants on four other occasions.

Prosecutors had said that Mr. Flores would testify that he and Mr. Garcia-Tobar worked for Ms. Chavez and recruited drivers for the operation, including Mr. Williams, 33, of Schenectady, N.Y. Mr. Williams' trial is set for trial in January. He would be the first accused smuggler to face the death penalty in the United States.

Ms. Chavez admitted in her plea that from May 9 to May 13, 2003, she had maintained regular contact via cellphone with five different smugglers to coordinate the pickup of illegal immigrants by Mr. Williams.

Prosecutors said they were prepared to present testimony from four survivors of the ordeal, who would identify Ms. Chavez as the person who demanded payment of their smuggling fees and who arranged to get them placed in the deadly tractor-trailer.

On the morning of May 14, 2003, deputies of the Victoria County Sheriff's office discovered an abandoned commercial refrigerated trailer near Victoria. They found 17 dead bodies in the trailer that had held at least 74 people. Two other immigrants later died. They had all suffered dehydration, hyperthermia and suffocation.

Authorities determined that temperatures inside the trailer had reached 173 degrees before it was left at a truckstop.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.