Illegal immigrant gang member sentenced to 20 years for shooting at WA police

An illegal immigrant gang member who returned to Washington state after deportation has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl and opening fire on police officers in Spokane.

Prosecutors say Israel Garcia, 36, was deported in 2021 after serving time for assaulting federal officers but unlawfully reentered the US the following year to resume his violent drug trade. His arrest came after he unleashed gunfire on law enforcement during a 2022 fentanyl bust, nearly killing an officer.

On September 18, 2025, United States Chief District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Garcia for discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and possessing more than 400 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Garcia, a documented gang member who was living in Yakima, was also ordered to pay more than $6,000 in restitution to the Spokane Police Department and will serve five years of supervised release if he reenters the United States after his prison term.

Garcia’s criminal history underscores how dangerous it was to allow him back into the US. In 2015, he was convicted of assaulting federal officers during a drug and firearm trafficking investigation and sentenced to seven years in prison. After his release in 2021, Garcia was deported to Mexico. But by 2022, he had illegally reentered the United States and resumed trafficking fentanyl, distributing thousands of deadly pills throughout Washington state.

“Mr. Garcia was a menace to our community, both because of his fentanyl trafficking as well as his violent behavior,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “Prison is clearly the right place for him.”

On October 16, 2022, Garcia traveled from Yakima to Spokane to deliver 10,000 fentanyl pills. When Spokane Police identified themselves and attempted to arrest him, Garcia opened fire while trying to flee.

The gunfire endangered multiple officers as well as Garcia’s own passengers, a man, a woman, and a minor child, who remained inside his vehicle. One officer narrowly avoided being killed when a bullet deflected off a car door window; even so, he sustained serious injuries to his head and face.

Officers returned fire, striking Garcia and ending the immediate danger to both law enforcement and civilians. The passengers, including the child, were unharmed.

Because Garcia was still under federal supervision for his prior conviction, he was immediately arrested for violating his release terms before being indicted on the new federal charges.

Now that sentencing is complete, Garcia will also face state charges in Spokane County for the attempted murder of police officers. Pete Serrano, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, underscored how unacceptable Garcia’s actions were:

“We have zero tolerance for dangerous offenders like Garcia who pose an immediate threat to our community and our law enforcement partners. It is unconscionable that he engaged in this behavior after having just been released from prison for the same kind of violent conduct.”