Laredo Man Sentenced to 23 Years of Prison for Fentanyl Distribution After Search Reveals Lethal Drug Operation

In a recent development, 39-year-old Jose Pedro Garcia has been sentenced for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Garcia, who pleaded guilty on August 8, faced U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo for sentencing. The judge ordered Garcia to serve 286 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The court highlighted Garcia’s involvement in selling drugs, referring to them as “poison,” and emphasized the significant harm caused by his drug trafficking activities over the years.

The legal action stemmed from a search warrant executed on May 26 at Garcia’s residence. During the search, authorities discovered multiple small plastic baggies, each containing various suspected narcotics. Subsequent analysis revealed the substances to be heroin, meth, cocaine base, and fentanyl. The court noted that fentanyl, referred to as “China White,” is a Schedule II-controlled substance.

Garcia admitted to a decade-long involvement in drug sales, starting with crack cocaine, progressing to meth, and ultimately dealing in “China White” due to its heightened potency and popularity. Additionally, it was revealed that Garcia color-coded the bags to distinguish between the different types of drugs.

The case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.