Two Illegal Aliens from Mexico Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking in West Tennessee (DOJ)

Memphis, TN - Brothers, Julio Cesar Garcia, 45, and Juan Carlos Garcia, 41, both of Chiapas, Mexico, were sentenced following their 2023 trial conviction. In 2021, these individuals were indicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.

According to information presented at trial and sentencing, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information that Julio Cesar Garcia was facilitating narcotics transactions from the Bureau of Prisons Great Plains Correctional Institution in Hinton, Oklahoma. Investigators determined that Julio Cesar Garcia would locate buyers in the Western District of Tennessee, utilize a prison contraband phone to set up methamphetamine deliveries, and his brother Juan Carlos Garcia would accept payment.

Upon further investigation into Julio Cesar Garcia, HSI learned that he was serving prison sentence for a narcotics trafficking offense stemming from a conviction in the Western District of Tennessee. Specifically, on March 7, 2019, Julio Cesar Garcia was sentenced to 120 months' incarceration for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Methamphetamine. His scheduled release date was July 9, 2026.

During the investigation, investigators learned that Julio Cesar Garcia provided tracking numbers to parcels containing kilogram amounts of methamphetamine. The parcels originated from California. Homeland Security Investigations, working with the United States Postal Inspection Service, seized two parcels, one containing 1 kilogram of methamphetamine and the other 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

On February 24, 2023, following a 4-day trial, a federal grand jury convicted both Julio Cesar Garcia and Juan Carlos Garcia of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On December 18, 2023, the Honorable Mark S. Norris sentenced Juan Carlos Garcia to 188 months' incarceration and ordered him to not unlawfully re-enter the United States. On December 6, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld Juan Carlos Garcia's conviction and sentence.

On March 31, 2026, the Honorable Mark S. Norris sentenced Julio Cesar Garcia to 300 months' incarceration and ordered him to not unlawfully re-enter the United States. This sentence is to be served consecutively to the prior sentence Julio Cesar Garcia was serving at the time. There is no parole in the federal system.

Both defendants were unlawfully in the United States at the time of the offenses. Due to the nature of the convictions, both are subject to removal from the United States.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Criminal aliens not only threaten the sovereignty of our nation but also threaten the safety of our communities. Distribution of illegal narcotics is NOT a victimless crime. This case demonstrates our focus on those dangerous criminal aliens who continue to violate our laws after illegal entry by distributing poisonous drugs that cause addiction, injury, and death."

"Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in its mission to protect communities from the harm caused by drug trafficking and criminal organizations," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. "This case highlights the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies and our ongoing efforts to hold offenders accountable. HSI will continue to pursue those who endanger public safety and uphold the rule of law."

"This case exemplifies the spirit of collaboration we share with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Let these prison sentences serve as a reminder that using the mail to traffic narcotics will be met with serious consequences." - Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins, USPIS

"Through the Homeland Security Task Force, the FBI is working with our partners to pursue and dismantle the networks responsible for participating in the deadly drug trade," said Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "Together, we will ensure that those who exploit our communities for profit face the full force of the law."

This case was investigated and assisted in trial by Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Also assisting in the prosecution were the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Department of Homeland Security Customs and Broder Protection (DHS CBP), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the DeSoto County (MS) Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit.

Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Allen prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Memphis comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies, to include the investigative agencies listed above, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee.

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