Rosbel Garcia Jr., Cocaine Trafficking, Texas 2023

McAllen, Texas - A 46-year-old man from South Texas has been handed a significant sentence for cocaine trafficking. Rosbel Garcia Jr. was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and has been ordered to federal prison.

A federal jury deliberated for approximately six hours before convicting Garcia on January 14. The jury heard testimony from seven witnesses during a one-day trial. Following his conviction, Garcia executed a signed statement admitting to his involvement in the offense and his knowledge of the controlled substances involved.

As part of the investigation, authorities learned of a possible 20-kilogram cocaine transaction that would be occurring in the Houston area in January 2018. The jury heard from Rene Ramos III, the person Garcia had recruited, who explained that he had been previously arrested in Houston while in possession of approximately 60 pounds of marijuana belonging to Garcia in 2012. He claimed that at the time of that arrest, he was also in possession of approximately $90,000 of Garcia’s drug trafficking proceeds.

According to testimony, Garcia contacted Ramos in early January 2018 and told him he had to begin working for him in order to reduce that drug debt. As part of that involvement, Ramos testified he directed his wife, Christy Leigh Wells, to deliver cocaine to individuals in Houston. Testimony revealed Garcia traveled to Houston from the Rio Grande Valley in January 2018 along with Luby Janet Luna. Wells also testified and admitted she delivered 10 kilograms of cocaine to Luna and others on January 30, 2018.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that all involved were just cons who fabricated Garcia’s involvement in the scheme. The jury disagreed and found him guilty as charged. Garcia remains in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez took the statement into consideration and handed Garcia a 78-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court also noted Garcia’s greedy motivation in committing the crime and his recruitment of another individual.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr. and M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.

The case serves as a reminder of the severity of the consequences of cocaine trafficking in Texas. Rosbel Garcia Jr.’s sentence is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies in combating this crime. The case highlights the importance of cooperation and the consequences of involvement in drug trafficking.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/south-texan-handed-significant-sentence-trafficking-cocaine