A 33-year-old Brownsville man will make his first court appearance on drug charges after being on the run for the past year.
William Garcia is to appear this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignancio Torteya III to face drug smuggling charges, the United States Attorneys Office of the Southern District of Texas said in a press release.
Authorities said he had been living in Mexico illegally.
Garcia is charged in a nine-count indictment unsealed today with conspiracy and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Garcia allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy which moved cocaine and heroin from Mexico into the United States since 2016. Garcia is also accused of returning the illegal drug proceeds from the sale of heroin and cocaine back to Mexico, according to the charges.
The indictment also alleges Garcia used the United States banking system to collect his drug money.
If convicted, Garcia is up to life in prison and up to a $10 million possible fine.
