McALLEN, Texas - A 46-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison for following her conviction of importing a large quantity of 97% pure meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Elizabeth Garcia, Houston, pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Garcia to serve 175 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Garcia was a habitual drug trafficker and cited her extensive criminal record, which included trafficking 10 kilograms of cocaine, possessing more than 30 kilograms of marijuana, her involvement in an alien transporting conspiracy and engaging in organized criminal activity.
On July 22, 2019, Garcia attempted to enter the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry. She was referred to secondary inspection where authorities discovered a total of 37 packages with 32.6 kilograms of meth concealed within her BMW.
Lab tests revealed a 97% purity rate.
Garcia has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
