A high-ranking San Ysidro street gang member and Mexican Mafia associate, Juan Castro, was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and an additional 10 years of supervised release yesterday for selling 109 grams of methamphetamine. As per the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns addressed Castro as a "hand puppet for the Mexican Mafia".
The prison sentencing of 38-year-old Castro discloses his control over the daily operations of the San Ysidro, or "Sidro," street gang and the collection of tolls from other criminals for committing crimes in the area. The DOJ confirms that these collected funds were later transferred to leading Mexican Mafia members.
The arrest of Castro followed a long-time investigation by the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force involving multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies. Castro was charged with the distribution of methamphetamine, punishable by a fine of up to $5 million and a minimum of five years to a maximum of forty years in prison. His case falls under the filing number 23-cr-00371-LAB.
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