Foreign national sentenced for elaborate cocaine trafficking scheme

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for his role in an elaborate cocaine trafficking scheme.

According to court documents, Gerardo Ignacio Castillo-Lopez, 32, was residing in Tucson, Arizona, in April 2022 when he coordinated the delivery of 22 kilograms of cocaine to his co-conspirator, Dwight Garvey, in Maryland. Castillo-Lopez picked up the cocaine from his sources, packed the drugs into hidden compartments within a 2018 Honda Pilot, and then delivered the Pilot to a vehicle transporter to take the car to Maryland. Once in route, New Mexico State Police stopped the transporter for a traffic infraction and noticed that the Pilot had no license plate. A narcotics canine alerted to the presence of drugs in the Pilot and an inspection revealed the cocaine.

On April 25, 2022, the Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) group replaced the cocaine with “sham” packages and negotiated a delivery with Garvey. Garvey picked up the Pilot in Manassas, Virginia, and drove it to College Park, Maryland. Agents then watched as Garvey removed several packages of sham cocaine, and subsequently arrested him. Less than 24 hours after Garvey’s arrest, Castillo-Lopez fled to Mexico, where he remained as a fugitive for over a year until his arrest in August 2023 when he attempted to cross back into the United States.

On June 2, 2022, Garvey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and on Sept. 22, 2022, Garvey was sentenced to five years in prison. On Nov. 30, 2023, Castillo-Lopez pleaded guilty to the same offense.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Call and Kristin Starr prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-187.