A Laredo man, Raul Garcia Jr., aged 33, has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for heroin trafficking. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the sentencing following Garcia’s guilty plea on August 6, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered Garcia to serve 100 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. During the hearing, the court considered Garcia’s previous convictions and interactions with law enforcement and emphasized the severity of his crime.
The investigation began in January 2024 when authorities suspected Garcia of selling fentanyl in Laredo. Over three months, it was discovered that he was distributing narcotics from his home. A search warrant executed in March uncovered heroin packaged for street sale. Another search warrant a month later found more heroin similarly packaged.
The searches also revealed methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana, money, and a stolen firearm. Garcia admitted possession of these drugs at the time of his plea.
Garcia will remain in custody until he is transferred to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation involved several agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Laredo Police Department’s Narcotics Division with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) and Border Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Chamberlin and Leslie Cortez prosecuted this case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF aims to dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a coordinated multi-agency approach.
