Former UFC welterweight Alex Garcia has been arrested in Montreal following a drug sting that took over 100 kilos of cocaine off the market.
The operation, which went down on Monday, Dec. 8th, 2025, also resulted in the seizure of 5kg of heroin, 20 liters of GHB, and $306,000 in Canadian cash (worth $222,000 in USD). Three guns were also found. Garcia was arrested alongside two others: Michele Laddaga and Victor Julio Sanchez Medrano. Two accomplices, Rattana Sem and Veronique Plouffe, are on the run.
According to a police release, the investigation into Garcia and his accomplices began in July 2025. They allegedly bought their drugs in Toronto before moving them to Montreal for resale at a higher price.
Alex Garcia was listed in his arrest papers under his real name, Lenin Billy Garcia Ciriaco. Known as “The Dominican Nightmare” during his 2013-2018 stint with the UFC, Garcia’s biggest win was retiring Mike Swick in 2015. He traded back-and-forth wins and losses before a two-loss skid to Ryan LaFlare and Court McGee ended his days with the promotion.
Garcia would go on to take two fights with Russian promotion ACA, lose both, and then retire in 2020 with a 15-8 record (5-5 UFC).
Now the 38-year-old former fighter will be facing some serious prison time. He’s been charged with drug trafficking and possession of proceeds of crime, and the sheer volume of drugs he was caught with suggest he could be put away for years if found guilty.
