A San Diego man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing methamphetamine in the city.
According to court documents, Juan Castro, 38, sold 109 grams of methamphetamine to a cooperating individual in 2023. Castro, described as a high-ranking member of the San Ysidro (or ‘Sidro’) street gang and an associate of the Mexican Mafia, oversaw day-to-day operations for Sidro, including collecting payments in exchange for allowing others to commit crimes in the San Ysidro area.
The payments, or taxes, were then distributed to high-ranking Mexican Mafia members. In sentencing Castro, U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns called him a ‘hand puppet for the Mexican Mafia.’
Castro was apprehended after a long-term investigation by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and Gang Group. The task force included investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, California Department of Corrections, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Chula Vista Police Department, and National City Police Department.
The charges against Castro include distribution of methamphetamine under Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1), which carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years, and a $5 million fine.
Castro was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He will serve his time in a federal prison facility. The investigation into Castro’s activities is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further charges.
Defendant: Juan Castro
Age: 38
City and State: San Diego, CA
Date: November 13, 2023
Sentence: 10 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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