A California man has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in trafficking narcotics into Connecticut, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Jonathan Garcia, also known as “Gordo,” 37, from Long Beach, California, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. In addition to his prison term, Garcia will serve four years of supervised release.
Authorities began investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization in 2022 that was distributing significant amounts of fentanyl and cocaine within Connecticut. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force led the investigation using wiretaps, surveillance, controlled purchases of drugs, and other methods. The operation found that narcotics were being supplied by sources in California via Mexico.
In February 2023, investigators seized two packages sent from West Hartford to southern California addresses. One package contained about $6,500 in cash and two new Apple iPhones; the other held approximately $38,300 in cash.
Further investigation indicated that members of the Loose Cannonz motorcycle club based in East Hartford were receiving shipments of fentanyl and cocaine for distribution in the Hartford area.
Law enforcement discovered that Garcia and another individual coordinated shipments of kilogram quantities of narcotics from Mexico to Connecticut. Garcia reportedly traveled to Connecticut at times to help with transactions and collect proceeds from drug sales.
Garcia was arrested on October 24, 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 11, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.
He is currently released on bond and must report to prison on April 22.
Garcia has a prior conviction for federal cocaine trafficking in the Central District of California dating back to 2017.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the DEA’s Hartford Task Force—composed of personnel from several local police departments—the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Robert Dearington are prosecuting the case.
