MCALLEN, TX. - According to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani, a 32-year-old man has been convicted by a federal jury in McAllen for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, the Department of Justice reports.
Christopher Andrade, a resident of Oxnard, California, was convicted by the jury after a four-day trial. The jury deliberated for slightly more than an hour before reaching their decision.
According to the Department of Justice, it was stated that in 2018, certain individuals associated with the Mexican Mafia gang were involved in organizing the killing of a person who was living in Mission, Texas.
Andrade was a person who had been involved with the Colonia Chiques gang and was on parole. He allegedly recruited and conspired with three other individuals to carry out a murder, reportedly in exchange for a sum of $20,000. Other individuals who were present included his mother Viola Garcia, Noah Solis, and Ronaldo Gallegos.
Click here for the latest news updates and to join in the conversation.According to the Department of Justice, it was revealed that the individuals involved in the case had agreed to travel from California to Texas with the intention of committing a murder, in exchange for the payment.On August 30, 2018, Garcia and others made an attempt to enter the victim's residence by force, but the attempt to commit murder did not succeed. Garcia and company attempted to leave the area. During that period, Garcia was involved in a pursuit with law enforcement officers, which resulted in a vehicle collision after she drove at high speeds.
During the trial, the jury was presented with evidence of text messages and phone calls made by Andrade from his phone, which were alleged to be related to the coordination of a murder attempt.
The Department of Justice alleges that in July 2018, the group made another attempt to cause harm to the same individual.
Andrade presented arguments to the jury in an effort to demonstrate that he was not the individual using the phone and had no knowledge of any agreement or intent to commit murder. However, the jury found him guilty as charged, as they did not believe those claims.
The trial was presided over by U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa, who has set the sentencing date for September 7th. Andrade could potentially receive a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison.
Andrade is currently in custody and will continue to be held until the hearing takes place.
Noah Solis, aged 24, and Ronaldo Gallegos, also aged 24 and from Oxnard, had previously admitted guilt, while Garcia, aged 52 and from Oxnard, California, was found guilty by a jury in November 2022. All individuals are currently awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with support from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as the police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Peter I. Brostowin.
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