Leader Of East Bay-Based Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison

OAKLAND – Javier Castro Banegas-Medina (Castro) was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for leading a fentanyl drug trafficking organization in the East Bay, announced United States Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.  The search of Castro’s residences led to what was then the largest seizure of fentanyl in the Bay Area. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge.

Castro, 41, and two of his two co-conspirators, Elmer Rosales-Montes, 29, and Jose Ivan Cruz-Caceres, 32, admitted in separate plea agreements to their respective roles in the scheme.  On July 28, 2022, Castro entered into a written plea agreement in which he acknowledged that, as the leader of the organization, he conspired with others to distribute more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of fentanyl.  The drug trafficking organization distributed fentanyl from two residences, one located in San Leandro and the other in Oakland, where Castro lived with Rosales-Montes and Cruz-Caceres.  Castro admitted that he and his co-members of the drug trafficking organization fulfilled well over 100 orders for fentanyl between approximately April 21, 2021, and May 19, 2021.  During the searches of the residences, investigators recovered approximately 10 kilograms of fentanyl and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in multiple calibers that had been hidden in fenceposts surrounding the Oakland property.  Investigators also seized a total of $31,400 in drug trafficking proceeds, as well as other equipment associated with drug distribution including dyes, scales, and blenders.

On February 24, 2022, Castro was charged by information with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B)(vi).  Pursuant to his plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the charge.  

In addition to the prison term, Judge Gonzalez Rogers also ordered Castro to serve four years of supervised release, to begin after his prison term is completed.

Judge Gonzalez Rogers also sentenced Rosales-Montes and Cruz-Caceres to 26- and 60-month prison terms, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Kleinman and Noah Stern prosecuted the case with the assistance of Katie Turner, Kay Konopaske, Leeya Kekona, Karina Ruiz, and Mimi Lam.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.  This investigation and prosecution are being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.