Juan Antonio Tamayo-Beltran/Mexico/Drug Distribution

On February 12, 2025, ICE Detroit arrested Juan Antonio Tamayo-Beltran, a citizen of Mexico.  Tamayo has been convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin and sentenced to 57 months in prison.

Likewise, On March 7, 2025, Gerardo Ignacio Castillo-Lopez, a 32-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme. Castillo-Lopez had orchestrated the smuggling of narcotics into the Washington, D.C. area, arranging for drugs to be transported from Mexico to a contact in Virginia.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) intercepted the shipment, which led to the arrest of the U.S.-based recipient. After Castillo-Lopez fled to Mexico, further investigation tied him directly to the operation, resulting in his arrest and prosecution. He was extradited to the United States and ultimately pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Evidence presented at sentencing included communication records, financial transactions, and surveillance footage connecting him to the coordinated distribution plan. Castillo-Lopez is currently serving his sentence in federal custody.