United States Drug Enforcement Administration

LAREDO, Texas – A 45-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role as a leader-organizer in a meth distribution conspiracy, announced Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux and Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Federico Castanon pleaded guilty June 21.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo to 144 months in prison. At the hearing, the court heard evidence Castanon was a leader/organizer of a drug trafficking organization. He continued to attempt to coordinate criminal activity by speaking to associates in coded language on recorded jail calls while in custody. In imposing the sentence, Judge Marmolejo noted that if he was continuing in his attempts to still coordinate drug trafficking while in custody, he clearly had no remorse for his actions.

Authorities had conducted an undercover operation which resulted in the Aug. 3, 2015, seizure of approximately three kilograms of meth and one kilogram of cocaine. The investigation identified Castanon as a leader/organizer of the smuggling event after he had met with law enforcement and discussed the seizure.

Castanon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Rodriguez and Ursula Smith prosecuted the case