A Mexican national living illegally in the Weslaco area has been sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for immigration, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei.
Jorge Huerta-Garcia, 31, pleaded guilty to charges related to illegal reentry after removal and conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver more than five kilograms of cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. His pleas were entered in August 2024 and March 2025.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera sentenced Huerta-Garcia to 204 months in prison. Because he is not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his incarceration. During sentencing, the court reviewed evidence detailing Huerta-Garcia’s involvement in a drug conspiracy that included 643 kilos of cocaine as relevant conduct. The court also noted his previous convictions for aggravated assault and firearm possession.
A federal jury indicted Huerta-Garcia in March 2024 for illegal reentry after removal while authorities were investigating him as part of a larger drug trafficking organization. Additional charges for drug and firearms offenses were filed against him in September 2024.
On November 28, 2023, law enforcement observed several vehicles traveling together in Hidalgo County, including a Chevrolet Silverado driven by Huerta-Garcia with Alvino Lozoya-Ramon as passenger. They arrived at a Brownsville residence where Juan Alberto Monroy-Villanueva was present; all three loaded wrapped bundles into the truck’s back seat.
Authorities attempted a traffic stop but were led on a chase that ended when the vehicle crashed through a ranch gate. Huerta-Garcia fled the scene while Loyoza-Ramon was apprehended. A search revealed nearly 40 kilograms of cocaine inside the vehicle.
Investigators determined that Huerta-Garcia had previously been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2017 and was removed from the United States in June 2022.
He was arrested again in March 2024; officers found him with a loaded AR-10 rifle along with ammunition and weapon magazines.
Huerta-Garcia remains in custody awaiting transfer to an assigned Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
Co-defendants Loyoza-Ramon, age 56, and Monroy Villanueva, age 42—both Mexican nationals unlawfully residing locally—pleaded guilty to cocaine possession with intent to deliver and received sentences of ten years and four years respectively in December 2024.
The case resulted from an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the matter.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood," according to information provided by officials.
