Burien man sentenced to 90 months for drug trafficking suitcases filled with meth linked to Aryan family gang

Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia, a former attorney from Mexico who listed his last known address as Burien, was sentenced to 90 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, US Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced.

Castellanos-Tapia, 38, was a key supplier of methamphetamine to a drug trafficking organization with ties to the Aryan Family prison gang. Chief US District Judge David G. Estudillo handed down the sentence, dismissing defense claims that Castellanos-Tapia played a minor role in the operation.

Under surveillance, law enforcement observed Castellanos-Tapia delivering suitcases filled with methamphetamine—each containing 30-40 pounds—every few weeks. Despite his involvement in the drug trade, Castellanos-Tapia was not a user. Originally a lawyer in Mexico, he relocated to the US in 2020 due to economic hardships caused by the pandemic, initially working as a boat painter before turning to drug dealing to supplement his income.

Castellanos-Tapia and 23 other defendants were indicted and arrested in March 2023. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized from members of the drug trafficking organization an estimated 255 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, more than 26 pounds of fentanyl powder, cocaine, six pounds of heroin, $668,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 225 firearms.

Prosecutors sought a nine-year sentence, emphasizing the increase in overdose deaths in Washington, which rose by over 27% in the year ending December 2023.

“Drugs like the methamphetamine that Castellanos-Tapia distributed have a devastating impact on the community,” prosecutors wrote. “Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing—from family members, friends, and complete strangers—to feed their addictions. No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities.”

Due to his undocumented status, Castellanos-Tapia is likely to be deported following his prison term.

This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections, with significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff's Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff's Office, Lakewood Police Department, and US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon are prosecuting the case, designated as US v Castellanos-Tapia CR23-5085.

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