Jailhouse Meth Kingpin Garcia Admits Guilt

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Oscar Garcia, 46, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, admitted to running a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking and money laundering operation… from inside a federal prison. Garcia pled guilty Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in federal court, effectively sealing his fate. The sentence? A hefty 180 months, followed by deportation.

The indictment, filed in April 2016, paints a picture of a sophisticated network. Garcia wasn’t working alone. Co-defendants Leslie Frank Williams, 52, Andy Garcia, 43, and Domingo Rodriguez, 46, all of Deming, New Mexico, along with Estella Aguilar, 44, of Tucson, Arizona, were all allegedly involved in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine between July 2015 and April 2016. The feds are looking to seize a staggering $1,000,000 in drug proceeds.

What makes this case particularly galling? Garcia was already serving time in an Oklahoma prison on an unrelated drug trafficking conviction when he allegedly orchestrated this latest scheme. According to court documents, Garcia used a cell phone smuggled into his cell to facilitate the distribution of approximately 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine. He then directed others to move the cash, arranging for a courier to travel from Arizona to Deming, New Mexico to collect drug proceeds and deliver them to an accomplice between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10, 2016.

Garcia isn’t the only one facing the music. Andy Garcia pled guilty on Oct. 5, 2016, and is looking at a ten-year sentence. Rodriguez entered a guilty plea on Sept. 13, 2016, and Williams followed suit on Sept. 20, 2016. Sentencing dates for all three remain pending. Aguilar, however, maintains her innocence and has entered a plea of not guilty. Remember, an indictment is just an accusation, and Aguilar is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The investigation, led by the Deming office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Luna County Sheriff’s Office, highlights the persistent flow of drugs across the border and the resourcefulness of criminals attempting to profit from the trade. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark A. Saltman and Dustin C. Segovia are handling the prosecution, and they’re clearly building a solid case.

Garcia remains in custody, awaiting his sentencing hearing. This case serves as a stark reminder that even behind bars, criminals will find ways to operate – and that federal agencies are working tirelessly to dismantle these networks and bring those responsible to justice. The question now is, who helped Garcia smuggle that cell phone into prison, and will they face charges as well?