Florence, SC – A 68-year-old Mexican national with a long history of drug crimes and prior deportations was sentenced Friday to more than eight years in federal prison for importing fentanyl into South Carolina.

Repeat offender caught in sting

Francisco Villa-Garcia, also known by several aliases including Francisco Villa-Dominguez and Andres Busto, reentered the U.S. illegally in 2022 after being deported in 2019. Investigators say he arranged two shipments of what he believed was heroin, but the packages contained fentanyl worth an estimated $45,000 per kilogram.

Federal agents intercepted the second shipment in a sting operation, catching co-conspirators in Kingstree as they attempted to receive the drugs for distribution.

Criminal history

Court records show Villa-Garcia’s convictions date back to 1984 and include cocaine possession, extortion, DUI, hit-and-run with injury, and multiple federal drug trafficking offenses. In 2005, he was convicted in California for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry, serving 15 years in prison before being deported.

The latest sentence handed down by the court includes 97 months in prison for the new trafficking conviction and 51 months for violating supervised release tied to his 2005 case. Both sentences will run concurrently. He will be deported to Mexico once his time is served.

Co-defendants awaiting sentencing

Two co-conspirators, Eriberto Navarro Lopez of Mexico City and Marone Lawatis Nesmith of Kingstree, pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

The case was prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime through joint efforts of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Key Points

Francisco Villa-Garcia sentenced to 97 months for fentanyl trafficking, plus 51 months for violating supervised release.
Villa-Garcia previously deported in 2019 after serving 15 years for drug crimes in California.
Operation Take Back America coordinated the investigation and prosecution.

A career trafficker’s latest run has ended in another long prison term — and a final trip back across the border.

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