On September 18, 2025, United States Chief District Judge Stanley A. Bastain sentenced Israel Garcia, 36, to 20 years in federal prison following his guilty pleas for discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Garcia was also ordered to pay over $6,000 in restitution to the Spokane Police Department and will be subject to five years of supervised release if he returns to the United States after serving his sentence.
Court documents revealed that Garcia is a documented gang member from Yakima, Washington. In 2015, he was convicted of assault on federal officers related to a drug and firearm trafficking investigation and sentenced by Judge Bastian to 84 months in federal custody. After his release in 2021, Garcia was deported to Mexico but returned unlawfully in 2022. Upon his return, he resumed drug trafficking activities and began distributing thousands of fentanyl pills within the community.
The incident leading to his most recent conviction occurred on October 16, 2022. Garcia traveled from Yakima to Spokane with the intent of delivering 10,000 fentanyl pills. When Spokane Police approached him for arrest, he exited his vehicle and fired at officers while attempting to flee. The bullets were directed at multiple law enforcement officers as well as toward his own vehicle containing two adult passengers and a minor child. One officer narrowly avoided being shot in the head due to the angle of a car door window but still sustained injuries.
Officers responded by returning fire and striking Garcia, which ended the immediate threat he posed. The passengers inside Garcia’s vehicle were reportedly unharmed physically but were terrified by the event.
At the time of this offense, Garcia was under federal supervision for his previous conviction. He was arrested for violating supervised release conditions before facing new charges stemming from this incident. Authorities are working with the Spokane County Prosecutors Office so that Garcia can be transferred for state charges regarding assault on law enforcement officers.
Pete Serrano, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said: “We have zero tolerance for dangerous offenders like Garcia who pose an immediate threat to our community and our law enforcement partners. Garcia opened fire on the police in the streets of Spokane, attempting to strike several police officers. It is unconscionable that he engaged in this behavior after having just been released from prison for the same kind of violent conduct. This case highlights the importance of our partnerships between our state and federal partners and how closely we work with the Spokane County Prosecutors Office.”
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge at DEA Seattle Field Division stated: “Mr. Garcia was a menace to our community, both because of his fentanyl trafficking as well as his violent behavior,” adding “Prison is clearly the right place for him, and I am proud that DEA and our partners could facilitate his lengthy incarceration.”
The investigation involved both the Spokane Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Prosecution was handled by First Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter along with Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Cartier Giroux.
