Pedro Castillo-Lopez, Meth Trafficking, Texas 2021

Pedro Castillo-Lopez, a 40-year-old man illegally residing in Edinburg, Texas, has been ordered to federal prison after his conviction of trafficking methamphetamine.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced the conviction and subsequent prison sentence of Pedro Castillo-Lopez, following the guilty plea of March 9 to possession with intent to distribute approximately 31.83 pounds of methamphetamine.

On October 26, 2021, law enforcement observed Pedro Castillo-Lopez arrive at a hardware store parking lot located in Harlingen. Castillo approached another vehicle and transferred two commercial vehicle batteries from his vehicle to that one.

Authorities were able to confiscate the batteries. They broke one open and found what tested positive for the characteristics of heroin and meth. Further analysis later confirmed both drugs.

Castillo-Lopez had been previously removed from the country and did not have lawful presence in the United States. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.

Pedro Castillo-Lopez, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute approximately 31.83 pounds of methamphetamine. He was ordered by U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera to serve 96 months in federal prison.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/mexican-national-heads-prison-trafficking-narcotics-batteries