Texas Mother, Son Duo Sentenced for Mexican Mafia Murder-for-Hire Plot

A South Texas murder-for-hire scheme has landed two California residents in prison, along with their cohorts. Viola Elizabeth Garcia, 53, of Oxnard, California, and her son, Christopher Andrade, 33, were convicted of arranging the murder of a local man for $20,000 in 2018.

The Mexican Mafia, a deadly criminal enterprise that traffics in fear and terror, imported Garcia and Andrade from California to carry out the senseless act of violence. According to court documents, Morales, 38, who was incarcerated at the time, recruited others to commit the murder via a contraband cell phone in his possession. Andrade, a Colonia Chiques gang member, conspired with the others, including his mother, to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000.

The jury heard that in July 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators attempted to murder the victim, but the attempt was unsuccessful. They then tried to flee from the scene, with Garcia leading responding law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase until she crashed the vehicle. At Andrade’s trial, the jury heard testimony regarding text messages and phone calls he had made from his phone coordinating the murder attempt.

The jury also heard that in August 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators attempted to forcibly enter the victim’s residence near Mission. The murder attempt was unsuccessful, and they were apprehended by law enforcement. Garcia admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt, but claimed she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Garcia, Andrade, and Gallegos, 25, to each serve 120 months in federal prison, while Morales received a 60-month term of imprisonment. All sentences will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Solis, 25, will be sentenced at a later date. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan, and Sarina S. DiPiazza prosecuted the case.

“The Mexican Mafia, a deadly criminal enterprise that traffics in fear and terror, imported a mother and son duo – Garcia and Andrade – from California to murder a local man for $20,000,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Garcia and Andrade thought the scheme would raise their family’s fortunes, but thanks to the work of law enforcement, there won’t be any family reunions for years to come.”