Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Heriberto Castillo (44, Denton, Texas) to seven years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. His co-conspirator, David Ceballos (27, Alvarado, Texas), was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Castillo had pleaded guilty on November 28, 2022, and Ceballos had pleaded guilty on June 5, 2023.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2021, Castillo was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that was sending narcotics to the Middle District of Florida. On August 3, 2021, Castillo, while still in Texas, delivered approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine that was destined for the Middle District of Florida. Castillo then flew to Florida on multiple occasions to collect the proceeds, including to pick up a semi-truck tire that was supposed to contain over $400,000.
Also, according to court documents, in August 2021, Ceballos traveled from Texas to Bradenton to distribute approximately six kilograms of cocaine. On August 26, 2021, Ceballos was arrested in Bradenton while transporting the cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Diego F. Novaes.