Rachel C. Hernandez Acting United States Attorney for the District of Arizona | U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona
Julian Canastillo, 23, from Tucson, has been sentenced to six years in prison by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker. The sentencing, which took place on April 15, 2025, also includes three years of supervised release following the prison term. Canastillo had already pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including six counts of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Canastillo was identified as the leading figure in a firearms trafficking operation based in Tucson, detailed within a 51-count indictment filed in September 2022. This indictment named 10 individuals involved with illegal firearms activities. The investigation revealed that the organization was responsible for firearms transactions with weapons later found in Mexico. It was discovered that the Tucson group was linked to over 200 firearm transactions, with Canastillo admitting to the smuggling of 36 firearms into Mexico.
The investigation was carried out by several government agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona in Tucson, Angela W. Woolridge, Craig H. Russell, and Matthew C. Cassell, handled the case.
