A man once considered an important figure in the drug trafficking trade in Starr County is behind bars, again. 

Salvador Garcia Jr. escaped federal custody around July 19, 2019.

He had five years left to go before his release. The month following his escape he was indicted on the new charge.

By December of 2019, he was caught in Mexico and turned over to U.S. federal authorities at the international bridge in Hidalgo. 

On Wednesday, he signed a document confirming his escape before a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas. He also signed a plea agreement that is under seal. 

Garcia Jr. was convicted in 2005 on drug trafficking charges in Starr County. He was found guilty of managing the Midway property that was used to store hundreds of kilos of drugs.

His sentence was later reduced from 30 to 20 years. He was serving the remainder of his time at a low-level security correctional facility in Beaumont, TX. 

Salvador Garcia Jr. now faces the possibility of five more years in prison. His sentencing is pending.

The Midway property was recently mentioned in the detention hearing of a federal court case involving Salvador Garcia Jr.'s nephew, Juan Indalecio Garcia. 

He was a recently arrested for a smuggling attempt in 2019. He was arrested and bond was denied.

The government considers Juan Indalecio Garcia the current leader of the drug trafficking organization run by the Garcia family in Starr County.