Fugitive narcotics trafficker apprehended
2021-04-22 · Press release
Summary: A 33-year-old Brownsville resident has been taken into custody after being on the run from law enforcement for the past year
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Brownsville resident has been taken into custody after being on the run from law enforcement for the past year, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Authorities found William Garcia allegedly living illegally in Mexico April 21. He is expected to make his initial appearance today at 9 a.m. in Brownsville before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacia Torteya III.
Garcia is charged in a nine-count indictment unsealed today with conspiracy and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Garcia allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy which moved cocaine and heroin from Mexico into the United States since 2016. Garcia is also accused of returning the illegal drug proceeds from the sale of heroin and cocaine back to Mexico, according to the charges.
The indictment also alleges Garcia used the United States banking system to collect his drug money.
If convicted, Garcia is up to life in prison and up to a $10 million possible fine.
Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation La Camelia. Customs and Border Protection and Cameron County District Attorney’s Office also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Betancourt is prosecuting the case.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
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- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/fugitive-narcotics-trafficker-apprehended
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| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Jennifer B. Lowery | Acting U.S. Attorney | Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Brownsville, Texas | |||
| 1942 | William Garcia | defendant | Brownsville | 33 | indicted | |||
| 1943 | Ignacia Torteya III | judge | U.S. Magistrate Judge | U.S. Magistrate Court | Brownsville | |||
| 1944 | Karen Betancourt | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Brownsville |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1210 | Homeland Security Investigations | HSI | investigation | conducted the OCDETF investigation La Camelia | ||
| 1211 | Drug Enforcement Administration | DEA | investigation | conducted the OCDETF investigation La Camelia | ||
| 1212 | IRS-Criminal Investigation | IRS-CI | investigation | conducted the OCDETF investigation La Camelia | ||
| 1213 | Customs and Border Protection | CBP | assistance | provided assistance | ||
| 1214 | Cameron County District Attorney’s Office | assistance | provided assistance |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1002 | conspiracy | William Garcia | indicted | 0 | enrichment | |||||||||
| 1003 | possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin | William Garcia | indicted | 0 | enrichment | |||||||||
| 1004 | money laundering | William Garcia | indicted | 0 | enrichment | |||||||||
| 1005 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | William Garcia | indicted | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||
| 2930 | operating an unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | ||||||||||
| 2931 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 382 | fine | $10 million | USD | Possible fine if convicted | William Garcia | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 319 |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1180 | A 33-year-old Brownsville resident has been taken into custody after being on the run from law enforcement for the past year | Jennifer B. Lowery | Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Announcement of the arrest | Announces the apprehension of the fugitive |
| 1181 | An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law. | statement | Legal disclaimer | Provides legal context for the charges |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1280 | Drug Trafficking Conspiracy | Garcia allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy moving cocaine and heroin from Mexico into the U.S. since 2016. | Central to the charges, forming the basis for conspiracy and drug distribution counts. | 21 U.S.C. § 846 | International | Historical trend (since 2016) | Law enforcement, Victims |
| 1281 | Money Laundering | Garcia allegedly returned drug proceeds to Mexico and used U.S. banks to collect drug money. | Critical to dismantling financial networks supporting drug trafficking. | 18 U.S.C. § 1956, 18 U.S.C. § 1957 | International | Ongoing since 2016 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions |
| 1282 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Garcia operated an unlicensed money transmitting business to move drug proceeds. | Facilitated illegal financial transactions central to the drug trafficking operation. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Historical trend (since 2016) | Law enforcement, Financial regulators |
| 1283 | International Cooperation | Involvement of U.S. and Mexican authorities in apprehending Garcia. | Highlights cross-border collaboration to combat transnational crime. | International | Recent development (April 2024) | U.S. law enforcement, Mexican authorities | |
| 1284 | OCDETF Program | The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) led the investigation. | Demonstrates multi-agency strategy to dismantle high-level criminal networks. | National | Ongoing initiative | Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, IRS-CI, CBP | |
| 1285 | Legal Proceedings | Garcia's initial court appearance and potential sentencing (life imprisonment/fines). | Marks the formal judicial process against the defendant. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960, 21 U.S.C. § 846 | Local (Brownsville, Texas) | Recent development (April 2024) | U.S. Magistrate Judge, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Defendant |
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