Deported Meth Dealer Busted in NH

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ROCHESTER, NH – A Dominican man already kicked out of the country is facing a long stretch in federal prison after pleading guilty to dealing meth and re-entering the U.S. illegally. Joel Castillo-Soto, 35, confessed to being part of a drug operation that pumped over 20 pounds of methamphetamine, a little over a quarter-pound of cocaine, and 40 grams of fentanyl into the Rochester area.

The DEA started sniffing around in early 2024 after getting wind of a dealer moving multi-ounce quantities of meth. The operation centered around Ariel Castillo-Solano, who was posing as a U.S. citizen named Jose Antonio Santiago. Between October 2024 and January 2025, an informant and an undercover DEA officer bought more than five pounds of meth from Castillo-Solano. Then things got bigger: another 15 pounds of meth, 21 ounces of coke, and 40 grams of fentanyl were added to the deal, totaling $69,000.

On January 24, 2025, Castillo-Solano arranged a meet in Seabrook. He told the undercover officer his “brother,” later identified as Castillo-Soto, would handle the delivery. Castillo-Soto showed up in an Uber with the drugs, and both men were immediately cuffed. Turns out, Castillo-Solano was already a convicted felon, pleading guilty to meth conspiracy back in 2016.

Castillo-Soto is due back in court June 25, 2026 for sentencing. He’s looking at serious time for both the drug charge and the illegal re-entry.