Opinion ID: 70859
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Facts Established at the Second Trial

Text: 14 Nearly four years after Garcia had been acquitted in the first trial of all four counts, including conspiracy to import cocaine between March 1988 and April 21, 1988, the government charged Garcia with a Travel Act violation arising out of the same scheme to import cocaine that was the subject of the first prosecution. Specifically, the 1993 indictment charged that, [o]n or about April 17, 1988, ... Garcia did travel in foreign commerce, with the intent to promote, manage, establish, carry on and facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of an unlawful activity, that is the importation of a controlled substance and thereafter did knowingly and willfully perform and cause to be performed, acts to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of said unlawful activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952 and 2. Garcia filed a pretrial motion to dismiss the indictment on double jeopardy and collateral estoppel grounds, which the district court denied. Following a three-day trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Garcia guilty as charged. The district court denied Garcia's Rule 29 post-trial motions for judgment of acquittal and for a new trial. 15 Unlike the first trial at which there was no evidence of Garcia's involvement in the conspiracy, at the second trial there was substantial evidence he was actively involved in it. The government summarizes the second trial evidence against Garcia as follows: 16 The evidence showed that one Oscar Caicedo arranged with Garcia's codefendant Harold Bustamonte to import approximately 350 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia into the United States via Mexico. Caicedo hired appellant Garcia to transport the cocaine from Mexico to South Florida based upon Garcia's reputation as one who was experienced in transporting cocaine and his representations to that effect. Before hiring Garcia, Caicedo and his employee Carlos Umberto Rodriguez met with Garcia several times to ensure that Garcia was capable of transporting the cocaine; Garcia met with them in Key Largo and showed them two boats that he could use to transport the cocaine--the Miss Heineken, which belonged to Juan Batista, and the Sea Lark, which belonged to Antonio Gonzalez. Ultimately, Garcia hired Antonio Gonzalez who provided the Sea Lark to import the cocaine as well as a house in Key Largo where the cocaine could be offloaded. 17 Garcia was to be paid $50,000 for arranging the transportation of the cocaine; it was Garcia's responsibility to hire a crew for the boat, to pay the crew, and to ensure safe arrival of the cocaine in South Florida. He dispatched the Sea Lark to Mexico once he was notified that the cocaine had arrived there. After the Sea Lark embarked, Garcia visited Caicedo frequently at his place of business to keep him apprised of the vessel's progress. The vessel was damaged en route to Mexico and Garcia was dispatched with the necessary parts to repair the ship. After the cocaine was loaded and the vessel began its return voyage, it experienced engine problems again. [On or about April 17, 1988,] Garcia and Cabrera went to the Sea Lark 's assistance in the sportfisherman. While the Sea Lark and the sportfisherman were traveling together, the Coast Guard stopped and boarded both vessels; the officer did not find the hidden cargo of cocaine aboard the Sea Lark. 18 Ultimately, the Sea Lark with its cargo of cocaine arrived in Key Largo. The crew did not immediately offload the cocaine when the Sea Lark arrived at Antonio Gonzalez' residence in Key Largo, apparently because they suspected that they were under Coast Guard surveillance. Their suspicions were well founded. When the agents failed to discover the cocaine during their initial search of the vessel at Antonio Gonzalez' residence, Garcia suggested to his co-conspirators that, if the vessel were taken to the Custom's dock, they should attempt to steal the cocaine during the night. The agents discovered the cocaine and removed it before the co-conspirators were able to carry out such a plan, however. 19 Government's brief, pp. 6-8 (record citations omitted). After the jury at the second trial heard this evidence against Garcia, it convicted him of the Travel Act offense.