Tucson man receives 6-year prison sentence for firearms trafficking offenses following ICE Arizona, multiagency investigation

TUCSON, Ariz. — A local area man was sentenced April 15 to six years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised released for smuggling firearms and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations conducted the investigation in this case.

“Laws on owning a firearm arm in the United States are clear — you can’t possess one if you’re a convicted felon — period,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Arizona Francisco Burrola. “The defendant in this case not only knew he was breaking the law but also admitted to participating in organized crime — smuggling guns to Mexico. HSI and our partner agencies will not stand for this kind of criminal activity to take place — by working together, we are putting people in prison who knowingly and willingly violate our laws.”

Julian Canastillo, 23, of Tucson, previously 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 the lead defendant in a 51-count indictment filed Sept. 15, 2022, charging 10 individuals involved in a firearms trafficking organization based in Tucson. An investigation leading to the indictment revealed a series of transactions linked to the organization for firearms that were later seized in the Republic of Mexico. In total, the Tucson-based organization is connected to more than 200 firearms transactions, and Canastillo admitted to smuggling 36 firearms into Mexico.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela W. Woolridge, Craig H. Russell, and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)