Revere man and a Boston man were indicted yesterday in federal court in Boston with drug trafficking charges.
Edgar Castro, of Revere, and Julio Ortiz, of Boston, were indicted on one count each of conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Castro and Ortiz were previously charged by complaint and have been detained since their arrest on Aug. 26, 2019.
According to court documents, 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. The shipping company called Customs and Border Protection, who searched the package and found 29 kilograms of cocaine. Federal agents conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the address in Lawrence on Aug. 26, 2019. Upon delivery, Castro and Ortiz were observed unpacking the box and moving containers of cocaine into another vehicle. The defendants were subsequently arrested.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to a lifetime in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations, New England Field Division; and William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Woburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
