A Brownsville woman accused of smuggling marijuana near the Sabal Palm Sanctuary has been ordered to remain in custody until her trial because she has been deemed a flight risk, federal court documents reflect.
In his ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III found that Roseanna Garcia is “a flight risk due to the nature of the offense charged, criminal history, mental health history and unstable living situation, has a history of prior arrests, has a history/charge involving a child/elderly.”
At the time of Garcia’s Feb. 9 arrest, she had an 8-year-old son with her.
Garcia appeared Feb. 15 before Torteya, who ordered she remain in custody until her trial. A trial date has not yet been set.
An anonymous telephone call from an employee at Sabal Palms Sanctuary led to the arrest of a Garcia on a drug smuggling charge.
Garcia, born in 1984, is charged with one count of knowingly and willfully possessing with intent to distribute 164.2 kilograms or 361.9 pounds of marijuana.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Garcia said she received a telephone call from a private number and was threatened to transport the drugs.
The incident happened Feb. 9 where U.S. Border Patrol agents received the phone call from the employee who said that there was a black SUV on Sabal Palms Sanctuary property that “had no business” being there, the federal criminal complaint stated.
The agents went to the area and spotted a black Chevrolet Trailblazer driving toward the intersection of Sabal Palm Boulevard and Southmost Boulevard.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Garcia drove for about 2.1 miles before stopping for the agents who were following her.
Garcia was checked and then escorted to the backseat of a Border Patrol vehicle, and when the agents searched the Trailblazer, they found four bundles in the back compartment and another bundle in the back seat, the federal criminal complaint states.
Garcia was taken into custody and her 8-year-old son, who was with her, was handed over to her grandmother.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Garcia waived her Miranda rights and said she was instructed to park her vehicle at a nearby park that is about five minutes away from her residence.
Garcia “stated that she was instructed to leave her vehicle unattended, walk away, and Garcia would receive a phone call when to return back to her vehicle.”
Garcia said she knew marijuana was going to be inside her vehicle and that she never thought about calling authorities and telling them about the threat, the federal criminal complaint stated.
