Four California residents involved in a South Texas murder-for-hire plot have been handed significant prison sentences, as announced by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Following a jury verdict, after less than two hours of deliberation, 53-year-old Viola Elizabeth Garcia was convicted in November 2022. Christopher Andrade, 33, was convicted last July, alongside two others - Noah Solis, 25, and Ronaldo Gallegos, 25, who both pleaded guilty.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has sentenced Garcia, Andrade, and Gallegos to a decade behind bars each, while Diego Morales, 38, who had already been incarcerated, was given a 60-month prison term. Upon release, they all face three years of supervised release. Solis is still awaiting his sentence, his fate yet to be decided.
The grave nature of this case stemmed from a contract killing set for $20,000. As per Hamdani's statement, "The Mexican Mafia, a deadly criminal enterprise that traffics in fear and terror, imported a mother and son duo - Garcia and Andrade - from California to murder a local man for $20,000." Garcia and Andrade's expectations of a financial windfall from the Mexican Mafia ultimately led to their downfall.
Authorities from both California and Texas, including the FBI's San Antonio Field Office and local law enforcement, collaborated to unravel the violent plots hatched by this group. "These four individuals crossed state lines to carry out senseless acts of violence," Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp said. The coordinated efforts underline the determination to hold these individuals accountable and prevent such threats to community safety.
The jury was presented with evidence that in 2018, Garcia, Andrade, and others made attempts on the life of a man in Mission, Texas, leading to a high-speed chase after a failed assassination attempt. Furthermore, at Andrade's trial, text messages and calls were disclosed, revealing his involvement in coordinating the murder attempt. Despite claims from both Garcia and Andrade of their ignorance regarding the murder scheme, the jury found them guilty as charged, leaving them to serve their sentences as they await transfer to federal prison.
