Carlos Alejandro Castro Castro, known as “El Bebo,” was processed by the U.S. Department of Justice in the District of Maryland following the completion of a 37-month prison sentence for drug trafficking in the United States.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA – Carlos Alejandro Castro Castro, known as “El Bebo” and nephew of Baja California Sur Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío, has been officially designated as a drug trafficker by the U.S. Department of Justice in the District of Maryland. This follows his 37-month federal prison sentence for drug trafficking in the United States.
According to court documents from the District of Maryland, Castro Castro entered the U.S. from Baja California Sur, Mexico, on January 26, 2018. “El Bebo,” who is known in La Paz, Mexico, traveled to Baltimore accompanied by Gary Gaines Hidalgo.
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Prosecutors allege that Castro Castro, son of María Elena Castro (sister of Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío), along with Hidalgo, negotiated the sale of cocaine to two individuals:
1. Tony Lee Bauer, 39, of Baltimore, Maryland
2. Rondell Ronald Hackett, 43, of Middle River, Maryland.
Court documents identify both buyers as members of a criminal organization that also included:
1. Aaron Kenith Waller.
2. Adrian Gilberto Herrera Díaz.
An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Baltimore County Police Department revealed that Bauer and Hackett, upon their arrests, admitted to participating in a drug trafficking network composed of both Mexican and American nationals.
The ring’s members included:
• Carlos A. Castro-Castro (“El Bebo”), nephew of the Baja California Sur governor
• Gary Gaines Hidalgo, son of an American businessman and a Mexican merchant from La Paz.
• Adrian Gilberto Herrera Díaz.
• Aaron Kenith Waller.
According to court records, Castro Castro and Hidalgo arranged to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine at a price of $26,800 per kilogram from a confidential source working with law enforcement. The duo planned to resell the cocaine at $28,000 per kilogram.
A meeting was set up at a hotel parking lot in Baltimore, where the men intended to finalize the transaction. After receiving the shipment of cocaine (one kilogram of real cocaine and one kilogram of a lookalike substance), they were supposed to meet with Herrera Díaz, Bauer, and Waller.
On the designated date, three vehicles arrived:
• One driven by the undercover informant.
• Another driven by Hackett, carrying Herrera Díaz and Hidalgo.
• A third driven by Waller, carrying Bauer and Castro Castro in the backseat.
Only Hidalgo, Herrera Díaz, and Bauer exited their vehicles to meet with the informant. The informant opened his trunk to reveal the two kilograms of cocaine.
While Hidalgo examined the packages, federal agents from HSI and the San Francisco Metropolitan Police Tactical Group moved in. Waller and Hackett attempted to flee but were apprehended.
Inside the vehicle carrying Hackett, Herrera Díaz, and Hidalgo, authorities found a 9mm handgun in the center console and a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol beneath the seat where Hidalgo was seated.
All six members of the trafficking organization were arrested, with authorities seizing $129,583 in cash and two vehicles. The money was concealed under the rear seat of one of the vehicles, wrapped in a white vinyl bag.
All six individuals pleaded guilty and received the following sentences:
1. Carlos A. Castro-Castro (“El Bebo”): 37 months in federal prison.
2. Gary Gaines Hidalgo: 37 months in federal prison.
3. Aaron Kenith Waller: 51 months in federal prison.
4. Tony Lee Bauer: 110 months in federal prison.
5. Rondell Ronald Hackett: 138 months in federal prison.
6. Adrian Gilberto Herrera Díaz: [sentence not specified]
The sentences were announced on June 30, 2021, by:
• Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Jonathan F. Lenzner.
• HSI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge, James R. Mancuso.
• Baltimore County Police Chief, Melissa R. Hyatt.
• Maryland State Police Superintendent, Colonel Woodrow W. Jones III.
After serving 37 months in federal prison, Carlos Alejandro Castro Castro was released on July 31, 2024. However, he remains officially listed as a convicted drug trafficker by the U.S. Department of Justice in the District of Maryland.
Official Report of the Department of Justice for the District of Maryland: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/members-drug-trafficking-organization-sentenced-over-nine-years-federal-prison-baltimore
