McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — A Mexican national who had been living in the South Texas border town of Weslaco must serve 17 years in federal prison for drugs and firearms convictions and for re-entering the U.S. illegally, U.S. Attorney Nicolas Ganjei said.
Jorge Huerta-Garcia, 31, pleaded guilty to the immigration and drugs and firearms charges in August 2024 and March 2025, respectively.
Ganjei said Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has ordered Huerta-Garcia serve 204 months in federal prison.
He is expected to face removal proceedings back to Mexico once his sentence is completed.
Huerta-Garcia ran a drug conspiracy that brought over 640 kilos of cocaine across the border.
He was indicted in March 2024 for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country in June 2022.
He had been convicted in 2017 of possessing a firearm, which led to his removal.
But on Nov. 28, 2023, law enforcement say they spotted several vehicles in Hidalgo County, including a truck driven by Huerta-Garcia, which had bundles of cocaine hidden inside the back seat totaling almost 40 kilos.
Authorities arrested him in March 2024 and say at the time they found a loaded AR-10 rifle, ammunition and magazines with him.
Two other Mexican nationals who authorities say were part of the 2023 vehicle caravan — Alvino Lozoya-Ramon, 56, of Weslaco, and Monroy Villanueva, 42, of Brownsville — pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to deliver cocaine and were sentenced in December 2024. Loyoza-Ramon received a 120-month sentence, while Monroy-Villanueva was ordered to serve 48 months.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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