Major Drug Supplier is Seventh Prosecuted as Member of Multi-State Drug Trafficking Organization
Jose Antonio Castillo, 44, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced this week by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to 235 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New Orleans. Castillo was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
In late 2017, HSI agents in Gulfport began investigating Castillo’s drug trafficking organization. Based on numerous sources of information, agents determined that Castillo was supplying at least three individuals on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with methamphetamine. Those three individuals would travel to Atlanta, Georgia, and meet Castillo at an automotive shop where he worked. Castillo would provide pound quantities of methamphetamine to these individuals in exchange for money. The individuals purchasing the methamphetamine from Castillo would then bring that meth back to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and sell it.
In July 2018, local HSI agents traveled to Atlanta and arrested Castillo. At the time of his arrest, Castillo had over 800 grams of methamphetamine in his car. Agents also executed search warrants at Castillo’s home and the automotive shop.
To date, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi has prosecuted seven individuals involved in Castillo’s drug trafficking organization. All seven of those individuals have pled guilty.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Gulfport, Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, and the Georgia Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk.
