NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – December 12, 2023
SAN DIEGO –Augusto Jean Carlo Castillo-Hernandez of Guatemala pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he and his co-conspirators coordinated the smuggling of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America to Guatemala with an ultimate destination of the United States.
Castillo-Hernandez was arrested on August 31, 2021, in Guatemala and extradited to the United States in February 2022 along with two others. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 23, 2024 at 9 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw.
Court documents described Castillo-Hernandez as an organizer and leader in the conspiracy to distribute cocaine in Guatemala and elsewhere. The conspiracy spanned at least 2017 to July 2020.
The defendants were arrested as part of a multi-year investigation targeting high-level cocaine traffickers operating in northwest Guatemala and which exposed the inner workings of cocaine trafficking in that country. The probe involved multiple countries, multiple law enforcement agencies around the United States, and multiple federal districts.
“This case demonstrates the impact of dedicated partnerships across the United States, reaching into Guatemala to prevent immeasurable amounts of cocaine from arriving on our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “While Mr. Castillo-Hernandez is being held accountable today, the bigger message is to the organizers who push this poison north. The long arm of American justice will reach across the globe to protect our communities.”
“This guilty plea of a known drug trafficker is the culmination of years of collaborative efforts between HSI and our partners at the Department of Justice,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz, “The joint effort has significantly impacted this international criminal organization’s ability to import dangerous drugs into the United States.”
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANT Case Number 20cr2242-DMS
Augusto Jean Carlo Castillo-Hernandez Age: 34 Guatemala
aka “Metal” aka “Joker”
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Intended for Unlawful Importation into the United States–
Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 853
AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Homeland Security Investigations Attaché, Guatemala
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations
Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF)
Sean Hocking
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