Cruz Javier Garcia, a 39-year-old resident of Bland, Virginia, was sentenced in Salt Lake City to more than 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine and cocaine in Utah. He will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Garcia admitted to possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute. According to court documents and statements made during his plea and sentencing hearings, law enforcement stopped Garcia for speeding on September 22, 2023. During the stop, officers searched his vehicle and discovered approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine packed in one-pound bags inside a suitcase, as well as 3.5 pounds of cocaine found in a backpack.
“Drug trafficking is a scourge on communities, and those who seek to profit from it while our communities are left to bear the cost of addiction, violence and death, is unacceptable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Garcia’s sentence sends a clear message to anyone involved in trafficking drugs in the District of Utah: you will be caught, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
Commissioner Beau Mason of the Utah Department of Public Safety stated: “The Utah Department of Public Safety is committed to interdicting contraband on Utah highways and providing professional investigations that lead to successful prosecutions. We are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah. Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti’s team played a crucial role in securing this conviction, and we congratulate them on this successful outcome.”
The investigation was conducted by the Utah Department of Public Safety’s State Bureau of Investigation along with the Utah Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative that coordinates resources from multiple Department of Justice programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) with goals including combating illegal immigration-related crime and targeting transnational criminal organizations.
