PECOS, Texas — 26-year-old Edgar Jesus Castillo of Palmdale, California has pled guilty to trafficking fentanyl charges in the State of Texas.
Castillo was in court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty specifically to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents, Texas DPS' Criminal Investigation Division intercepted a known drug conspiracy in the Pecos area in February of this year. On February 23, a USBP canine alerted agents to search the vehicle of Castillo at the checkpoint in Sierra Blanca. During the search, an unmarked envelope was found in Castillo's vehicle with a white powder that was later confirmed to be fentanyl.
Castillo had the 1.005 kilograms worth of fentanyl in California and transported it to Pecos where he planned to meet a customer traveling to Houston in a hotel room.
Castillo can now face possibly 10 years to life in prison with the maximum fine of $10 Million.
We will continue to update this story as we receive more information.