Following a multi-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has reported the sentencing of Daniel Quinones-Castro to a five-year prison term for his involvement in narcotics trafficking and firearm offenses. Quinones-Castro entered a guilty plea to charges of Conspiracy to Commit Possession of a Dangerous Drug (Methamphetamine) for Sale and Misconduct Involving Weapons, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office release.
The DEA's investigation, which began in September 2018, placed Quinones-Castro at the heart of a drug trafficking operation in the Phoenix area. Law enforcement surveilled multiple drug transactions, leading to the conclusion that Quinones-Castro orchestrated these activities by directing couriers to handle and distribute methamphetamine, as per the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The operation, running from September 2018 to February 2019, saw him facilitate the movement of over seven pounds of methamphetamine and an equal amount of cocaine.
During the investigation, authorities seized a belt-fed rifle that Quinones-Castro had instructed an associate to purchase for smuggling into Mexico. The weapon’s recovery and the intent behind it underscore the gravity of his trafficking activities. While Quinones-Castro faces a lengthy prison term, his co-conspirators—Mark Lujan and Daniel Granucci—were sentenced to supervised probation for conspiring to sell methamphetamine and launder its proceeds.
The Attorney General’s Office Criminal Division prosecuted the case, resulting in Quinones-Castro's sentencing on August 20. He will serve his sentence in the Arizona Department of Corrections, the Arizona Attorney General's Office stated. Documentation related to the case, including the indictment and a booking photo of Quinones-Castro, has been made available to the public.
