Federal Prison Sentence Issued in Major Trucking-Based Cocaine Smuggling Ring

Key Details Luis Manuel Castillo Garcia, a 52-year-old Mexican national living illegally in Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess cocaine and an additional 120 months for illegally reentering the United States. Garcia pleaded guilty in November 2025 after orchestrating a scheme to recruit commercial truck drivers to transport cocaine loads from Laredo to other U.S. locations. What Happened In March 2025, Garcia paid $9,000 per trailer to transport multiple cocaine shipments hidden in tractor-trailer compartments. Law enforcement seized two rigs on March 4-5, 2025, recovering 50 kilograms of cocaine. Two months later, officers observed Garcia meeting with recruited driver Luis Alonzo Pena Jr., 31, who accepted a duffle bag containing 18.5 kilograms of cocaine. A traffic stop led to Pena's arrest. Why It Matters The investigation recovered more than 65 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately $1 million. Pena received a 56-month federal sentence plus three years supervised release. Following his prison term, Garcia faces deportation. The case involved coordinated efforts by the DEA, Texas Department of Public Safety, Border Patrol, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, highlighting the continued threat of drug trafficking networks targeting commercial drivers.