San Jacinto Man ‘Fat Boy’ Gets 10 Years for Meth Trafficking

Luis Miguel Castro, aka “Fat Boy,” 27, of San Jacinto, is headed to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced on methamphetamine trafficking charges tied to his affiliation with the violent San Jacinto First Street gang. U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer handed down the sentence yesterday, marking another blow against narcotics operations rooted in Riverside County’s entrenched street gangs.

Castro pled guilty earlier this year to possession with intent to distribute three large plastic bags containing more than a half-pound of methamphetamine—equivalent to approximately 1,080 days of personal use. Prosecutors emphasized the destructive reach of the drug, stating in their sentencing memorandum that “methamphetamine is a highly addictive and harmful controlled substance that wreaks havoc on communities across the country.” They also presented evidence confirming Castro’s active ties to the San Jacinto First Street gang.

Castro was the lead defendant in a broader indictment that charged four others in the same trafficking operation. Three have already been convicted and sentenced: Roberto Alvarado, 30, of San Jacinto, received 63 months; Terri Lynne Valenzuela, 50, of San Jacinto, was sentenced to 78 months; and Victor Chavez, 26, of San Jacinto, got five years in federal prison, to run consecutive to his state sentences.

All convicted defendants were hit with a strict condition: no contact with known members of the San Jacinto First Street gang. Authorities say the measure is critical to dismantling the network’s ability to reorganize and resume criminal activity behind bars.

“Criminal street gangs continue to sell dangerous drugs as a major source of revenue, so the Department of Justice will continue to attack these gangs by seeking imprisonment for drug-traffickers affiliated with them,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “The convictions and sentences in this case demonstrate how cooperation between state and federal law enforcement can bring positive results for a community.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Steve Comer added that the San Jacinto First Street gang—a Riverside County-based outfit with a record of murder, home invasions, weapons violations, and narcotics sales—has been “decimated” through joint efforts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay Robinson and Sandhya Ramadas prosecuted the case. The fifth defendant, Juan Carillo, was acquitted at trial earlier this year.