Illegal alien sentenced for third narcotics violation

McALLEN, Texas - A 50-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute approximately 11 kilograms of cocaine found in his vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Delber Turrubiates-Garcia pleaded guilty April 25, 2025.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Turrubiates-Garcia to serve 120 months in federal prison, to run concurrently with a 24-month sentence imposed for violating the terms of his supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court noted this conviction marks his second federal narcotics offense.

On Aug. 15, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a 2019 Ford pickup truck in McAllen. Turrubiates-Garcia was the driver. A search of the vehicle revealed two boxes containing 10 packages of cocaine in the rear passenger seat.

The packages weighed approximately 11.6 kilograms and field tested positive for cocaine.

Turrubiates-Garcia admitted he knew the boxes contained narcotics and said he was to be paid to pick up and distribute them. He also claimed he had retrieved similar packages from the same location in the past and had been paid between $500-$1,000 on each occasion.

He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Hidalgo County Constable's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.