Felon from Las Cruces Charged with Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – This morning, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M., found probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Dominic C. Garcia, 28, of Las Cruces, with violating the federal firearms laws by being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Garcia was remanded into custody pending trial, which has yet to be scheduled.

The FBI arrested Garcia on Aug. 14, 2018, in Las Cruces after Task Force Officers of the FBI’s Southern New Mexico Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force came upon him while seeking to execute an arrest warrant for another individual.  According to the criminal complaint, Task Force Officers allegedly observed Garcia pull a firearm out of his waistband as he attempted to flee from the Officers.  The complaint alleges that the Task Force Officers subsequently found a firearm on the roof of a nearby residence, and allegedly found ammunition in Garcia’s pocket during a search incident to his arrest.

 According to court documents, Garcia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his felony conviction in Sept. 2011, for drug trafficking.

If convicted, Garcia faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years in federal prison.  Charges in complaints are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern New Mexico Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force, which is comprised of Special Agents from the FBI’s office in Las Cruces, N.M., Agents of the U.S. Border Patrol, and Officers of the Las Cruces Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Davenport of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force is the vehicle through which all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies collaboratively address violent crime plaguing communities. The FBI’s Safe Streets and Gang Unit administers 160 Violent Gang Safe Streets Task Forces nationwide. The task forces pursue violent gangs through sustained, proactive, coordinated investigations to obtain prosecutions on violations such as racketeering, drug conspiracy, and firearms violations. The Safe Streets Task Force concept expands cooperation and communication among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, increasing productivity and avoiding duplication of investigative efforts.