An El Paso man, purportedly associated with the notorious criminal organization "La Empresa," has been given a federal prison sentence nearly spanning two decades for his involvement in a kidnapping scheme. The U.S. Attorney's Office confirmed the sentencing of Luis Edward Castro, 28, who pled guilty to a hostage taking charge.
Forcibly taken from his motel room in Juarez, Mexico, on August 24, 2023, a man was held against his will until September 5, 2023. Multiple threatening calls demanding payment were received by the distraught family of the victim, who in the end, coughed up approximately $9,000 to secure the hostage's release and safe passage. According to a statement from the Justice Department, Castro armed himself with a handgun and recorded videos showing the victim in a state of fear and stating he was in El Paso.
The investigation led authorities to Castro's address, where they discovered six undocumented noncitizens and several guns, one with its serial number removed. Castro, who was arrested on the day the hostage was released, faced multiple charges related to the undocumented immigrants, along with the kidnapping and firearms offenses. He later accepted responsibility for the hostage taking on September 26, 2024.
Commenting on the severity of the threats posed by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas stated, "This case highlights some of the many dangers posed by TCOs on both sides of our southern border." Her remarks pointed out the investigative efforts by the FBI and U.S. Border Patrol. "Castro's sentencing of two decades in federal prison is a significant penalty," Leachman told the Justice Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Engelbaum and Kyle Myers prosecuted the case.
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