A Long Beach, California man has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in trafficking narcotics into Connecticut. Jonathan Garcia, also known as “Gordo,” age 37, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport. In addition to the prison term, Garcia will serve four years of supervised release.
The sentencing follows an investigation that began in 2022 by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force into a large-scale drug trafficking organization distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine within Connecticut. Authorities used court-authorized wiretaps, surveillance, controlled purchases, and other investigative methods during their inquiry. The operation revealed that drugs were being supplied from sources in California through Mexico.
In February 2023, investigators intercepted two parcels sent from West Hartford to southern California addresses. One package contained approximately $6,500 and two new Apple iPhones; the other held about $38,300 in cash.
Further findings showed members of the Loose Cannonz motorcycle club in East Hartford were receiving shipments of fentanyl and cocaine for local distribution.
Law enforcement determined that Garcia and another individual coordinated shipments of kilogram-quantities of narcotics from Mexico to Connecticut. Garcia sometimes traveled to Connecticut to manage transactions and collect proceeds.
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 but must report to prison on April 22.
Garcia’s criminal record includes a previous federal conviction for cocaine trafficking in the Central District of California in 2017.
The case was investigated by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The task force comprises personnel from multiple law enforcement agencies including state police and several local police departments across Connecticut. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Robert Dearington are prosecuting the case.