A federal court has sentenced Scott Garza, a 35-year-old resident of Alice, Texas, to more than 22 years in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to an Apr. 2 announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The case highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat drug trafficking operations that use commercial carriers and creative smuggling methods. Garza's sentence includes 265 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
Garza pleaded guilty on Dec. 30, 2025, after authorities intercepted an international package shipped from Mexico and destined for an address in Alice on Aug. 7, 2025. Law enforcement used X-ray examination and a K-9 alert to discover ten clay bricks containing meth mixed within the material. The total weight was nearly eight kilograms with an estimated street value of $160,000.
During sentencing before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales, evidence showed that the drugs were delivered to an abandoned house where Garza retrieved them before opening the package at his home. Authorities searching his residence found additional narcotics—cocaine, methamphetamine, Xanax tablets, marijuana and synthetic marijuana—as well as three firearms.
Judge Morales said that although Garza may have previously been a low-level dealer "he graduated to the next by participating in this crime." After sentencing, Garza was taken into custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility.
The investigation involved Customs and Border Protection; Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Department of Public Safety; and Jim Wells County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to the official history page. The office operates locations in Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as described on its official website.
Part of the U.S Department of Justice under the Attorney General according to its official website, this office employs more than 200 attorneys covering over nine million people across 43 counties as detailed online. Its focus is prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government according to its official website. Leadership changes have occurred regularly at this office with Alamdar Hamdani serving from 2022 through 2025 as noted on its history page.
