WA man sentenced to 10 years for role as ‘right-hand man’ of drug ring

SEATTLE – A Monroe, Washington, man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for serving as a “right-hand man” to a Deadly opioid trafficking ring operating throughout Western Washington.

Humberto Garcia, 42, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Garcia was arrested in December 2020 along with seven other people in connection with the criminal network, which prosecutors say distributed heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl in Puget Sound.

“Although he had an addiction, he was involved in the distribution of very dangerous drugs,” Judge Jones said during Garcia’s sentencing hearing. “You were a willing and able participant, loyal to the leader of the drug trafficking network.”

García provided a weapon to the ringleader of the operation, José Luis Ibarra-Valle, who was sentenced in 2023 to nine years in prison. Ibarra-Valle needed the gun to kill another trafficker who owed him money. Ibarra-Valle was detained by California authorities after returning from a drug deal, and police found about 10,000 fentanyl pills, more than eight kilograms of methamphetamine and more than one kilogram of heroin.

“Mr. Garcia played an important role in the conspiracy, acting as a drug redistributor, local guide, interpreter and liaison to other drug traffickers,” said United States Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “He continued to distribute fentanyl even after learning of the overdose death of a customer. His conduct contributed to the enormous increase in fentanyl overdoses in our community.”

Garcia is the last of eight people sentenced in this case and it was the only case that went to trial, prosecutors say.

“Wiretaps revealed that Ibarra-Valle had excellent connections to drug supply sources in California and/or Mexico, but little to no local knowledge of the drug market or customers here in Western Washington and no knowledge of English. Garcia, on the other hand, knew the area, knew the local drug market and spoke English and Spanish. As such, he was ideally positioned to help Ibarra-Valle sell his product here in this District… Possession. of a firearm by Garcia, of course, increased the danger he posed to the community,” prosecutors wrote to the court.

After his 10-year term, Garcia will be on supervised release for five years.

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