Massachusetts man sentenced to prison concerning trafficking of 29 kilos of cocaine

BOSTON – A Revere man was sentenced in federal court in Boston in connection with drug trafficking activities involving cocaine.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 48-year-old Edgar Castro was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2022, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.

An individual in Puerto Rico attempted to ship a box containing approximately 29 kilograms of cocaine to an automotive repair garage in Lawrence. After a routine inspection of the box, employees of the shipping company found packages appearing to be narcotics wrapped in plastic and notified law enforcement. A search of the package revealed a total of 29 kilograms of cocaine. Following a controlled delivery of the package to the recipient address in Lawrence, Castro and his co-conspirator Julio Ortiz were observed unpacking the box and moving containers of cocaine into another vehicle. Ortiz and Castro were arrested on site.

In November 2022, Ortiz was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Lindsey E. Weinstein of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.