Two Texas Men Indicted for Transporting 28 Kilograms of Cocaine

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted two Texas men for conspiring to sell approximately 28 kilograms of powder cocaine.

Ricardo Garcia, 37, and Jesus Christian Martinez, 33, both of Brownsville, Texas, were indicted on one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute and one count of possession with intent to distribute powder cocaine. According to the indictment and testimony at a preliminary examination and detention hearing held on February 6, 2015, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on February 3, 2015 on a vehicle traveling eastbound on I-20 in Bossier Parish. The vehicle displayed North Carolina license plates but was not registered to either the driver or the passenger.  After further investigation, a police dog was deployed, and the dog began to paw at the speaker box in the trunk. Inside the speaker box troopers found 28 kilogram size packages of powder cocaine.  

The defendants face 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine on each count.

The DEA-Shreveport Office and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.