Mexican National Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Charges in Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Jorge Cardenas, a/k/a George Castineda, 42, a Mexican national residing in Girdwood, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve 11 years in prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release.  Cardenas previously pleaded guilty on July 21, 2017, to conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine.

According to the court documents, for at least five years prior to his arrest in March 2017, Cardenas trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine and other illegal controlled substances  throughout Southcentral Alaska, including Anchorage, and Southeast Alaska, including Juneau.  A total of approximately 730 grams of methamphetamine was seized from his truck in Juneau and from his residence in Girdwood.  The investigation further revealed that Cardenas was making and planning to distribute “gunpowder heroin,” which is heroin laced with fentanyl, and spoke candidly about the likelihood of it causing overdose deaths.  In his residence, Cardenas had a shrine dedicated to worshipping Jesus Malverde – the “Patron Saint of Drug Dealers.”  

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the Juneau Police Department (JPD), the Alaska State Troopers (AST), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case.  Cardenas was arrested with the assistance of the United States Marshal Service (USMS) and the Anchorage Airport Police.  This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Stinson.