A member of a transnational criminal organization (TCO) based in El Paso has been sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a kidnapping and hostage-taking conspiracy. Luis Edward Castro, 28, a member of the “La Empresa” gang, received a nearly 20-year sentence on Thursday.
According to court documents, a man was forcibly kidnapped at gunpoint from his motel room in Juarez, Mexico, on August 24, 2023. He was held hostage until September 5, 2023. During his captivity, the victim’s family received numerous threatening phone calls demanding payment for his safe return. The family ultimately paid approximately $9,000 to the TCO.
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Castro, armed with a handgun, recorded and sent “proof-of-life” videos to the victim’s family. In the videos, the victim appeared visibly frightened and stated he was in El Paso. The investigation eventually led law enforcement to Castro’s address. A search of the residence revealed six undocumented noncitizens and multiple firearms.
Castro was arrested on September 5, 2023, and initially charged with six counts related to harboring and transporting undocumented noncitizens for financial gain, hostage-taking, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He pleaded guilty to the hostage-taking charge on September 26, 2024.
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“This case highlights some of the many dangers posed by TCOs on both sides of our southern border, and Castro’s sentencing of two decades in federal prison is a significant penalty,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “I am thankful for our partners at the FBI and U.S. Border Patrol, whose investigative skill and expertise led to the recovery of these kidnapping victims and the outcome of this case.”
“TCOs such as La Empresa will find no refuge whatsoever in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge John Morales for the FBI’s El Paso Field Office. “These ruthless networks exploit the vulnerable through human smuggling, drug trafficking, and violent extortion… This sentencing serves as a clear warning: the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Border Patrol are relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to profit from suffering.”
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