Ricardo Gutierrez-Castillo, Eric Luviano-Cabrera, and Heleodoro Luviano-Castillo were sentenced on July 17 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced each defendant to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing their prison terms, all three will serve a five-year term of supervised release.
The case began after investigators with the Omaha Police Department received a tip on January 2, 2025, from the owner of a South Omaha Airbnb who reported suspicious activity by renters. The owner observed individuals bringing large pots and pans, bags resembling salt, and fans into the property. On January 3, investigators saw two people loading large totes from the Airbnb into a vehicle. Officers stopped the vehicle and identified Gutierrez-Castillo of Elkin, North Carolina, as the driver; inside the totes were found 33 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
Following Gutierrez-Castillo’s arrest, authorities took Eric Luviano-Cabrera and Heleodoro Luviano-Castillo—both citizens of Mexico illegally present in the United States—into custody. A search warrant executed at the Airbnb uncovered a makeshift laboratory designed to separate methamphetamine concealed within other compounds and an additional 15 kilograms of pure methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods said, “Methamphetamine is a toxic poison undermining the safety and strength of our communities, and the Omaha Police Department should be commended for tearing down this criminal organization and disrupting the flow of this hazardous substance into Nebraska from Mexico.”
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska advances community well-being through coordinated law enforcement efforts that safeguard residents; it serves all of Nebraska from facilities in Omaha’s federal courthouse and Lincoln’s federal building; prosecutes federal crimes; handles civil cases for the U.S.; collaborates with various law enforcement agencies; and operates as part of the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website.