An Orlando man trafficked firearms, smuggling the goods from the United States to Canada.
United States Attorney Roger Handberg recently announced that 24-year-old Jonen Castillo, of Orlando, has pleaded guilty to smuggling goods from the United States. Castillofaces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in June 2023, Castillo was trafficking firearms when he concealed five firearms and nine firearm magazines inside record players and mailed them to a recipient residing in Canada.
This Central Florida case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
