Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Alejandra Susana Castillo, a 34-year-old resident of Tracy, California, has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegal firearms trafficking. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court documents show that between August 22, 2023, and August 27, 2024, Castillo and a co-conspirator were involved in purchasing firearms in Nevada and selling them illegally in California. Because the co-conspirator is a convicted felon and could not legally buy firearms himself, he partnered with Castillo to obtain the weapons.
The two would travel together to gun dealers in Nevada. The co-conspirator would enter the store first to select firearms and communicate his choices to Castillo via text message or other means before leaving the store. Castillo, who was not prohibited from buying guns at the time, would then enter and purchase the selected firearms under her own name. They would then return to California and sell the guns unlawfully to individuals who could not legally purchase them.
On July 27, 2024, Castillo’s co-conspirator led law enforcement on a high-speed chase that ended due to public safety concerns. Two days later, police found the car used in the chase at a gas station with Castillo behind the wheel. Officers searched the vehicle and found a semi-automatic rifle and three extended magazines in the trunk.
Authorities traced more than 30 firearms to this operation. At least four of these have since been recovered during investigations into suspected firearm-related crimes. One firearm was recovered by California Highway Patrol from a felon in Vallejo on July 25, 2024—just three days after it had been purchased by Castillo in Nevada.
Castillo has been ordered to report to prison on November 1, 2025. Her co-conspirator remains in federal custody for a related case.
The investigation involved multiple agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; California Highway Patrol; Pleasanton Police Department; Reno Police Department; Tracy Police Department; and San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
"This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the Pleasanton Police Department, the Reno Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office," said Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
