On the evening of August 30th, a situation unfolded in Mulberry, Polk County, that led to the arrest of Josue Castaneda-Castro, a 38-year-old Mexican national. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the intersection of State Road 37 South and Railroad Avenue after reports of a suspect disrupting a CSX train operation. The situation escalated into a confrontation with train personnel and law enforcement, resulting in multiple charges against Castaneda-Castro.
The Polk County Sheriff's deputies discovered that Castaneda-Castro had parked his black Chevrolet pickup truck and attached a homemade trailer to the train tracks. This obstruction led to an immediate halt of the train's movement. Castaneda-Castro left the scene only to return moments later and aggressively attempted to board the train. When law enforcement arrived, he tried to evade them, and upon being confronted, resisted and fled into adjacent woods. A K9 unit successfully located him, yet he violently resisted arrest, leading to additional charges.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated, "This individual not only endangered the safety of a train operator and disrupted critical infrastructure, but he also violently resisted arrest and attacked one of our K9s. He is in our country illegally, his license was revoked, and now he’s facing serious charges. Our deputies did an outstanding job bringing this dangerous situation under control."
The arrestee faces a slate of charges, including felony interference with railroad tracks and train operations, battery on a law enforcement officer, and multiple other offenses related to the incident. It was also revealed that Castaneda-Castro previously had his driver's license revoked since January 2023. Due to his status as a Mexican national present in the United States without authorization and past deportations, all charges have been enhanced, and an immigration detainer has been placed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Castaneda-Castro's criminal history includes prior arrests for DUI, driving with no valid license (DL), and driving while license suspended or revoked (DWLSR). This incident amplifies ongoing conversations around infrastructure safety, law enforcement encounters, and the complex tapestry of immigration enforcement in the United States.
