A Guatemalan drug dealer who distributed gummies to minors in Long Island has been released without bail. Shortly after, he was apprehended while attempting to flee to Canada, as announced by authorities on Thursday.
Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney reported that 22-year-old Wilmer Castillo Garcia was taken into custody in August 2025 for selling cocaine to an undercover officer and for allegedly providing THC gummies to students at William Floyd Middle School. Twelve children ended up in the hospital as a result, but Garcia was released due to what the DA called “broken” bail laws in the state.
After his release, Garcia quickly fled Long Island, only to be arrested at the northern U.S. border in October 2025, per the DA’s office.
“This defendant is accused of selling drugs to undercover officers and has been linked to the hospitalization of multiple school children. Yet our prosecutors had no legal means to request bail from the court,” Tierney remarked in a statement.
Garcia faced four felony charges and two misdemeanors, but during his arraignment, Judge Anthony Senft Jr. ruled that the charges did not qualify for bail under the state’s revised criminal justice laws.
He was apprehended by the Canada Border Services Agency while trying to cross into Canada, but subsequently was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation on the same day.
However, at Tierney’s request, Garcia was brought back to Suffolk County. The DA’s office indicated that he might avoid prosecution if deported.
“Thankfully, this defendant was caught trying to escape across the border into Canada,” Tierney stated, expressing gratitude to the Canadian border agents for their efforts. “He will face justice.”
The specifics of Garcia’s immigration status remain unclear, leaving questions about whether he had legal standing in the U.S.
Earlier, in March 2025, 12 students at William Floyd Middle School in Moriches fell ill after consuming THC gummies from a fellow student, leading to their hospitalization. Investigators eventually linked the purchases to an Instagram account believed to be operated by Garcia.
Following this discovery, two undercover operations were conducted in May, where Garcia allegedly sold cocaine and marijuana.
“We cannot even seek reasonable measures to ensure that a foreign national accused of supplying middle school students with dangerous THC gummies is brought to justice,” Tierney noted after Garcia’s initial release.
Currently, Garcia is being held at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead and is expected to appear in court again on May 19th.
If convicted of the most serious charges against him, he could potentially face up to nine years in prison.
A representative from the Office of Court Administration, which manages state courts, has not responded to requests for comments.
