Richard Castro, Fentanyl Trafficking, New York 2023

A dark web dealer of carfentanil and fentanyl has been arrested in Windermere, Florida. Richard Castro, a/k/a 'Chemsusa,' a/k/a 'Chems_usa,' a/k/a 'Chemical_usa,' was charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the 'dark web,' including on AlphaBay and Dream Market.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is significantly stronger than heroin, and carfentanil is a fentanyl analogue that is approximately 100 times stronger than fentanyl. According to the allegations contained in the Complaint [1] charging CASTRO and LUIS FERNANDEZ:

From at least in or about November 2015 through the present, CASTRO and FERNANDEZ conspired to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and phenyl fentanyl (an analogue of fentanyl).

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: Fentanyl is a chief culprit in the opioid crisis and carfentanil is 100 times stronger than fentanyl. Carfentanil is intended to be a tranquilizer for large animals. These were two of the terrifying drugs that Richard Castro and Luis Fernandez allegedly distributed in large quantities, including over the dark web, where they thought they could hide.

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: Carfentanil is 10,000 more times potent than morphine. Nothing that dangerous and potentially lethal should be in the hands of users who don’t know what they’re taking, and don’t realize how quickly it can kill someone.

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint [1] charging RICHARD CASTRO and LUIS FERNANDEZ:

On one dark web marketplace, Dream Market, ‘Chemsusa’ boasted that it had completed more than 3200 transactions on other dark web markets, including more than

Richard Castro, a/k/a 'Chemsusa,' a/k/a 'Chems_usa,' a/k/a 'Chemical_usa,' was arrested this morning in Windermere, Florida, and appeared before Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman in Orlando.

Defendant: Richard Castro, a/k/a 'Chemsusa,' a/k/a 'Chems_usa,' a/k/a 'Chemical_usa'

Criminal Charges: Participating in a conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and a fentanyl analogue over the 'dark web,' including on AlphaBay and Dream Market.

Date: June 11, 2023

City and State: Windermere, Florida

Sentence: Current Status: Arrested

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/prolific-dark-web-dealer-carfentanil-and-fentanyl-arrested