A man federal authorities describe as a key player in an alleged international cocaine pipeline is now in a San Diego jail cell after years of legal wrangling overseas. Erick Alexander Granados Garcia, 46, was extradited from Guatemala and brought into a downtown federal courtroom this week, where he pleaded not guilty to a maritime trafficking conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors say Granados Garcia is accused of directing ocean-going shipments of bulk cocaine headed for the United States as part of a far-reaching investigation into drugs moving from Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala into Southern California.
What Prosecutors Say
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a federal grand jury indicted Granados Garcia in June 2017 on a charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel.
Officials say Guatemalan authorities arrested him on Aug. 21, 2017, and later approved the United States' request to bring him to San Diego on Oct. 29, 2025. He arrived in Southern California shortly after that decision, according to the prosecution.
As reported by Patch via City News Service, Granados Garcia appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard and entered a not-guilty plea. The FBI San Diego office also flagged the extradition in a post on social media.
🚨Alleged Drug Trafficker Extradited from Guatemala🚨#ICYMI: Erick Alexander Granados Garcia, who is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, appeared in federal court last month following his… pic.twitter.com/laUSXGFKae
— FBI San Diego (@FBISanDiego) December 12, 2025
Scope Of The Investigation And Seizures
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Granados Garcia's case is part of a long-term probe into what authorities describe as high-level trafficking groups operating in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala.
Investigators allege those organizations used commercial and private airplanes, fishing boats, high-speed "go-fast" vessels and maritime containers to move cocaine into Guatemala and Mexico, then up to San Diego and Los Angeles.
Working across multiple countries and jurisdictions, law enforcement coordinated at least 45 bulk seizures in the broader operation. In all, officials say they intercepted about 60,230 kilograms of cocaine and seized roughly $4.7 million.
Penalties And What Comes Next
Under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and related federal statutes, a conviction for conspiring to possess or distribute cocaine aboard a vessel can bring serious time. The law provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life, along with potential fines as high as $10 million, according to the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case. No trial date has been scheduled, and Granados Garcia remains in federal custody while the case moves forward.
