Fermin Castro-Tovar, a 26-year-old Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, received a prison sentence of 96 months, followed by three years of supervised release, for attempting to traffic over 38,000 grams of methamphetamine in Utah. The sentencing was completed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart after Castro-Tovar pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute on January 14, 2025.
Court documents reveal that in May 2024, Castro-Tovar sold methamphetamine to agents during a controlled transaction with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. Law enforcement seized 24,020 grams of methamphetamine in a storage unit associated with him on May 30, 2024. Additionally, they seized approximately 3,401 grams of methamphetamine at his residence. Three more bags of methamphetamine, weighing 4,388 grams, 4,139 grams, and 2,890 grams, were seized in an apartment linked to him. The total methamphetamine intended for distribution amounted to 38,838 grams.
Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti emphasized the importance of preventing the distribution of lethal drugs, stating, “Stopping deadly drugs from being distributed throughout our communities is a priority. We will continue to work with our state, local and federal partners to dismantle organizations that bring drugs into our country and threaten community safety.”
Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed from the Salt Lake City FBI highlighted the impact of the drugs, noting, “The amount of methamphetamine in this case potentially amounts to hundreds of thousands of doses. Illicit drugs have devastated too many lives in Utah. Public safety is at the forefront of everything we do, and the FBI's Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force will use every resource available to cut the supply at the highest levels.”
The investigation was carried out by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which includes the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielson prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together various levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve in efforts to reduce gun violence and violent crime. Additionally, it is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, focusing on disrupting high-level criminal organizations infiltrating the United States. More information on these programs can be found on Justice.gov/PSN and https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.