BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old man residing illegally in Edinburg has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison following his conviction for trafficking methamphetamine, United States Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani announced.
Pedro Castillo Lopez pleaded guilty on March 9 to possession with intent to distribute approximately 31.83 pounds of methamphetamine.
District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Castillo López to serve 96 months (eight years) in federal prison. Not being a US citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings upon his incarceration. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Castillo López will now have a felony conviction and could spend the rest of his life in prison if he commits another felony or drug offense.
On October 26, 2021, law enforcement observed Pedro Castillo López arrive in the parking lot of a hardware store located in Harlingen. At the scene, Castillo transferred two batteries from his car to another vehicle.
Authorities were able to confiscate the batteries. They broke one and found what tested positive for heroin and methamphetamine. Subsequent analyzes confirmed both drugs.
Castillo López had previously been expelled from the country and did not have permission to be in the United States. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a US Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
