Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that sought to establish a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area.

Joel Enrique Armenta Castro, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to four years in prison and two years of supervised release. On June 29, 2023, Castro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. 

In August 2022, an investigation began into a DTO based in Mexico that was seeking to set up a cocaine distribution network in the Boston area. The investigation subsequently identified Castro a member of the DTO who came to Boston to facilitate the distribution of multiple kilograms of cocaine. On Aug. 29, 2022, Castro drove from Boston to a service plaza on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Ludlow where he obtained 15 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution by the DTO from the back of a tractor trailer.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.