Jose Ismael Castro Leon, a 47-year-old Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, has been charged in Phoenix, Arizona with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The charges stem from an incident on September 22 when investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force observed a suspected drug transaction in a Phoenix parking lot.
According to the federal criminal complaint, Castro Leon was seen showing another individual the contents of a black duffle bag stored in his vehicle’s trunk. Law enforcement officers approached and arrested him at the scene, seizing about 56 pounds of methamphetamine from the duffle bag and a firearm found in the vehicle’s center console.
A subsequent search of Castro Leon’s apartment led to the discovery of over 34 additional pounds of methamphetamine, approximately 1.14 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and another firearm.
The charge for possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years to life imprisonment and up to $10 million in fines. Similarly, possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl also carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years to life imprisonment and up to $10 million in fines.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts by the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The DEA’s Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force HIDTA led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Zander is prosecuting the case.
“A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
