Erick Alexander Granados Garcia, who is alleged to have trafficked large quantities of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico, appeared in federal court in San Diego following his extradition from Guatemala. Granados Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2017 on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel. He was arrested by Guatemalan authorities in August 2017, and the United States’ request for extradition was granted in October 2025. He arrived in San Diego earlier this week.
During his court appearance, Granados Garcia pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard.
The case is the result of a long-term investigation targeting high-level organizations involved in cocaine production and transportation based in Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala. These groups are believed to have transported cocaine through Guatemala and Mexico into California before distributing it throughout the state and along the East Coast. Investigators found that commercial aircraft, private planes, fishing vessels, speedboats, and maritime containers were used for moving narcotics and their proceeds.
Authorities coordinated at least 45 bulk cocaine shipment interdictions across multiple jurisdictions and countries as part of this effort. Operations so far have led to the seizure of about $4.7 million and more than 60 metric tons of cocaine from nearly 100 bulk seizures.
The Justice Department expressed appreciation to Guatemalan law enforcement for enabling the extradition process. The Office of International Affairs within the Justice Department, along with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, also played key roles in securing Granados Garcia’s arrest and transfer to U.S. custody. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted with his return to San Diego.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle B. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Granados Garcia faces charges under Title 46 of the United States Code for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on board a vessel; if convicted he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment and a possible fine up to $10 million.
Multiple agencies participated in investigating this case: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Marshals Service, United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and United States Border Patrol.
Prosecutors noted that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This prosecution falls under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159 (“Protecting the American People Against Invasion”). The task force brings together several federal agencies—including FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), DEA, ATF, Department of Defense entities, IRS-CI, CBP officers, Interpol representatives—as well as local partners in San Diego under coordination by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
