Pharr Man, Ivan Garza, Sentenced to 87 Months for Operating Drug Stash House in McAllen

In McAllen, Texas, a man's role in a drug operation has culminated in a prison sentence. Ivan Garza, 47, of Pharr, has been sentenced to serve 87 months after a U.S. District Judge determined his involvement in a drug stash house. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the sentence which includes an additional four years of supervised release, follows Garza's guilty plea on December 20, 2023.

Garza's sentencing by U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey comes after the court heard extensive arguments concerning possession of firearms, used in the protection of drugs, and drug money at the north McAllen residence. At the hearing, Judge Rainey noted that Garza's role went beyond just being present at the location. 

The incident that unveiled Garza's operation occurred on February 23, 2021, when law enforcement officers were called to the scene of a shooting. They arrived to discover that an altercation had resulted in Garza being forcibly pulled from his vehicle by armed, masked individuals. A counterattack ensued, with individuals from within the stash house firing upon the assailants as they escaped in Garza's black Chevy SUV.

A subsequent search warrant executed at the residence allowed officers to seize weapons, a substantial sum of money, and illegal narcotics. Among the discoveries were three handguns, bundles of money totaling $268,000 and four kilograms of cocaine, as was detailed in the court's findings. The investigation also uncovered that the black Chevy SUV contained cocaine, at the time it was stolen by the masked gunmen.

The operations to investigate and subsequently bring charges against Garza were carried out by the McAllen Police Department in collaboration with the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Salazar led the prosecution. While awaiting transfer to a federal prison, Garza will remain in custody, a location for his imprisonment is yet to be determined.