COLUMBUS, Ohio – A major player in an international drug trafficking operation was sentenced to a decade behind bars on Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Francisco Villegas-Garcia, 37, a Mexican national in the country illegally, was handed a 120-month prison sentence for his role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy.
Authorities identified Villegas-Garcia as a high-ranking trafficker in a drug network linked to Mexico, which smuggled and distributed multi-kilogram quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine across state lines.
According to court records, Villegas-Garcia frequently traveled between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Columbus, Ohio, as part of his drug operations. During one traffic stop in Charlotte, law enforcement seized $100,000 in cash from him. A coordinated investigation between DEA field offices in Charlotte and Columbus later revealed that he had direct communication with other members of the cartel, discussing drug supplies, sales, money transfers to Mexico, and securing couriers to move funds.
In January 2023, federal agents executed a search warrant at his Columbus residence on Willowswitch Lane, uncovering eight kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, along with $120,000 in cash—hidden inside a wall. Shortly after, authorities arrested him at Los Gauchos Taqueria on South Hamilton Road, where he was found carrying 28 grams of cocaine and more than $10,000 in cash.
Villegas-Garcia pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess fentanyl with intent to distribute.
“This case highlights the continued efforts of law enforcement to dismantle large-scale drug operations that threaten our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a multi-agency initiative targeting high-level criminal organizations. The DEA’s Detroit Field Division played a crucial role in the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Damoun Delaviz prosecuted the case.
For more information on OCDETF, visit justice.gov/OCDETF.
