Alex Wellman Castro Frias, 51, a Dominican citizen residing in Philadelphia, has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation that distributed fentanyl mixed with xylazine.
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Castro Frias, who acted as a “bagger” in the operation, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond. Following his prison term, Castro Frias will also serve three years of supervised release.
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Castro Frias pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in April of last year.
Court documents revealed that Castro Frias was a member of the Ortiz drug trafficking organization (DTO), which packaged thousands of individual baggies of fentanyl mixed with xylazine for distribution in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
A search warrant executed by the FBI at a DTO-operated house uncovered over six kilograms of fentanyl on a bagging table, highlighting the significant volume of drugs processed by the organization.
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“As a member of this DTO, Castro Frias played an active role in funneling fentanyl cut with xylazine onto the streets of Philadelphia and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “This highly addictive and destructive combination of drugs does horrific physical damage to users, causing gaping wounds that have led to amputations and deaths. My office is committed to bringing to justice the people and organizations fueling the city’s drug epidemic and all the ills that come with it. After serving his sentence, Castro Frias, who’s here illegally, will promptly be deported to his home country.”
The investigation was conducted by the FBI as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell prosecuted the case.
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