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 for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in Utah. The sentence includes 246 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release.
Garcia pleaded guilty on May 8, 2025, to charges of possession with intent to distribute both methamphetamine and cocaine. According to court documents and statements made during his plea and sentencing hearings, Garcia was stopped by law enforcement for speeding on September 22, 2023. A search of his vehicle led officers to discover a black garbage bag containing about 40 one-pound bags of methamphetamine inside a suitcase. Additionally, officers found another backpack with approximately 3.5 pounds of cocaine.
“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 added: “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—a nationwide effort coordinated by the Department of Justice that aims to combat illegal immigration as well as dismantle drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations through joint efforts involving Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
