Former Texas officer turns himself in after 13 years on the run

McALLEN, TEXAS (KVEO) — A former police officer accused of smuggling marijuana through southern Texas has turned himself in after more than 13 years on the run.

Jose Omar Garcia and his brother, Roel Roberto Garcia, were once police officers in Roma along the Texas-Mexico border.

In 2010, they, along with their father, were arrested by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration during a task force investigation dubbed “Operation X-Men.” The investigation targeted “Mexican Drug Cartel infrastructure and transportation cells throughout the United States with special emphasis on the Southwest Border,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas published in September 2010.

The brothers allegedly participated in a conspiracy that involved more than 2,200 pounds of marijuana.

Former Roma police Officer Jose Omar Garcia. (Image courtesy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.)

After being arrested, however, the Garcia brothers posted bond — and allegedly fled to Mexico.

Jose Garcia, now in his 40s, turned himself in Monday after more than 13 years on the run.

During a Wednesday hearing, with his family watching from the gallery, Jose Garcia appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano.

Wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, Garcia sat quietly through several hearings before his case was called. At one point, he appeared to wink at someone in the gallery.

Garcia’s attorney told Medrano that his client’s brother, Roel Roberto Garcia, and his client’s father, Roel Garcia, also planned to turn themselves in.

Both the federal prosecutor and Jose Garcia’s attorney said the self-surrender had been in the works for a while, but additional details were not released.

Medrano set Garcia’s bond at $100,000 with a $7,500 cash deposit. He may use the money he deposited in November 2010 before he fled the country to post bond, Medrano said, because that money apparently wasn’t forfeited.

While on bond, Garcia must remain at home in Roma. He must submit to GPS monitoring and may not leave the house without permission.

If convicted, Jose Garcia faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.