Julian Canastillo, a 23-year-old Tucson resident, was sentenced to six years in prison on April 15, 2025. United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker also imposed three years of supervised release following his prison term. Canastillo's sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to six counts of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Canastillo was identified as the leading defendant in a 51-count indictment filed on September 15, 2022. The indictment involved ten individuals and accused them of participating in a firearms trafficking organization based in Tucson. The investigation, which led to the indictment, uncovered several transactions linked to the organization. These transactions involved firearms later seized in the Republic of Mexico. The Tucson group is associated with over 200 firearms transactions, with Canastillo admitting to smuggling 36 firearms into Mexico.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations. The prosecution was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela W. Woolridge, Craig H. Russell, and Matthew C. Cassell from the District of Arizona in Tucson.
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit their website.