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Drug dealer pleads guilty

By BEN NELMS
bnelms@TheCitizenNews.com

A Texas man that distributed 45 kilograms of cocaine along I-85 in Fairburn last summer pleaded guilty in federal court June 24 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and assaulting a federal agent with a deadly weapon. Three other men involved in the case go to trial later this month.

Thirty year-old Eduardo Garcia, of McAllen, could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison and up $4 million in fines, according to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Sherri Strange and U.S. Attorney David Nahmias. Awaiting trail July 18 are co-defendants Jose Escalante, Alejandro Flores and Steve Serdando-Sandoval, according to court records.

The incident occurred July 14, 2004 after Garcia and Escalante traveled to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. DEA agents observed Garcia and Escalante renting a Toyota 4Runner at the airport and meeting later that evening at an I-85 on-ramp in Fairburn with Flores and Serdando-Sandoval, who had driven a tractor trailer from Texas to Georgia, said Strange. While in Fairburn, Garcia and Escalante took possession of a bag of cocaine, she said.

Agents followed the 4Runner from Fairburn to a midtown Atlanta, where they initiated a traffic stoop to apprehend the men, according to reports. Rather then surrendering, Garcia drove the vehicle directly at the agents, who narrowly escaped being struck by the vehicle, Strange said. Garcia and Escalante led agents on a chase and were later apprehended, she said, with ann immediate search of the vehicle resulting in the seizure of 45 kilograms, or 99 pounds, of cocaine.

Sentencing for Garcia is scheduled for Aug. 30.