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Mexican Cartel Member Sentenced to 17 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking
ATLANTA – Israel Garcia-Villanueva, a 22-year-old Mexican national, has been sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to traffic over 400 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Atlanta area and throughout the Southeast.
According to U.S. Attorney John Horn, Garcia-Villanueva coordinated large shipments of methamphetamine into the Atlanta metro-area on behalf of a group affiliated with the Knights Templar drug cartel in Mexico. His co-conspirators sent methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States in a variety of ways, including hiding it in cars with sophisticated, hidden electronic traps, car batteries, diesel fuel tanks, and even statue molds.
Garcia-Villanueva also coordinated the delivery of the methamphetamine throughout the Southeast and used multiple residential homes as methamphetamine ‘stash houses,’ including one house in the Lawrenceville, Georgia area. The houses were used to safeguard methamphetamine shipments, process the drugs for redistribution, and store drug proceeds.
As part of his drug trafficking operations, Garcia-Villanueva sent drug proceeds back to Mexico by sending cash with people who drove it over the U.S.-Mexico border and by wiring money to a number of individuals in Mexico. He supervised and managed a crew in the United States that assisted him with his methamphetamine distribution operations.
U.S. Attorney Horn praised the efforts of law enforcement in disrupting sophisticated drug organizations. ‘The Mexican cartel that employed Garcia-Villanueva shipped massive amounts of methamphetamine into the Atlanta area from the Mexican border,’ he said. ‘We are committed to disrupting these organizations by seizing their shipments of narcotics and getting their members off the streets.’
Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, Daniel R. Salter, also commended the efforts of law enforcement. ‘Mexican drug cartels are the source of so many dangerous drugs destined for our country and are responsible for much of the violence in Mexico today. This sentencing illustrates how DEA and its law enforcement counterparts will not allow these drug traffickers to wreak havoc on our society.’
Garcia-Villanueva was convicted on these charges on June 8, 2015, after he pleaded guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kamal Ghali prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.com.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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