⏱ 2 min read
Luis Manuel Castillo Garcia, a 52-year-old Mexican national, orchestrated a massive cocaine trafficking operation in Laredo, Texas, recruiting tractor-trailer drivers to haul large quantities of the illicit substance across the United States. In March 2025, Garcia paid $9,000 per trailer to transport cocaine stored at a local yard, and authorities seized two vehicles containing hidden compartments of cocaine on March 4 and 5, 2025. The operation resulted in the discovery of over 65 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over $1 million.
Garcia’s operation involved coordinating shipments from Mexico and transporting cocaine over an extended period. He worked with drivers, including Luis Alonzo Pena Jr., to transport the cocaine. Pena was previously sentenced to 56 months in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
Garcia pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025, to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and to being found illegally residing in the United States following his removal. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Garcia to serve 135 months in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and 120 months for illegally reentering the country after removal.
The sentence marks a significant blow to cocaine trafficking operations in the region. Garcia’s removal from the United States following his imprisonment is expected to further disrupt the flow of illicit substances into the country.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: Texas
- Location: TX
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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