Sergio Castillo-Lopez, a 29-year-old Mexican national unlawfully present in the U.S., received a 12-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine; he will face deportation once his sentence ends.
Sergio Castillo-Lopez, also identified as “Sergio Chilel,” pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2026, in U.S. District Court to the federal charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Judge Amir H. Ali handed down a 12-month prison term and ordered three years of supervised release following the sentence. Federal prosecutors had sought a longer term of 27 months, but the court imposed the shorter sentence.
“Sergio Castillo‑Lopez came to the United States on a temporary visa, ignored the law for nearly a decade, and used that time to run a cocaine distribution operation,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. The statement notes that Castillo-Lopez arrived on a temporary visa and remained in the country unlawfully for years while operating his drug activity. Prosecutors say he used his Washington residence to store, package, and prepare cocaine for street sales.
In addition to the 12-month term, the court ordered supervised release for three years after incarceration, and Castillo-Lopez agreed not to contest removal from the United States once his sentence is complete. That agreement means deportation proceedings are expected to follow the federal prison term without a prolonged legal fight over removal. The sentence reflects both the criminal charge and the government’s plan to remove him after he serves time.
According to court filings, Castillo-Lopez first entered the United States on a 30-day visa in 2017 and never left, remaining in the country for roughly eight years. During that period, investigators say he used his home in Northwest Washington, D.C. as a base for distributing cocaine and for preparing smaller quantities ready for sale. The papers describe a pattern consistent with street-level distribution rather than casual possession.
On Oct. 9, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in the 3000 block of Warder Street NW linked to Castillo-Lopez. Officers located nearly half a kilogram of cocaine in his bedroom, with an estimated street value of up to $12,000, and some of the drug had already been portioned into gram-quantity bags. Investigators also seized two digital scales and $3,126 in cash, the bills mainly in small denominations consistent with retail drug sales.
https://x.com/USAO_DC/status/2063022360027131910
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration — Washington Division Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with federal prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Akhtar. Those agencies coordinated the search warrant, evidence collection, and the subsequent prosecution that led to the guilty plea. The collaboration resulted in the seizure of the drugs and paraphernalia and the formal charges in federal court.
Court documents show Castillo-Lopez had lived in the D.C. area for years after his initial short-term entry, and authorities emphasize the mix of possession, packaging, and distribution activity discovered at the property. The seized items and the way the cocaine was prepared were cited as reasons for the possession-with-intent-to-distribute charge. With the sentence imposed and the agreed removal, officials project the defendant will leave the country after completing his federal obligations.
The sentence and removal agreement close this particular criminal file while also triggering the next phase: deportation proceedings. Once Castillo-Lopez serves his 12-month term and begins supervised release, immigration authorities are set to activate removal measures. The federal case will remain a record of both the criminal conviction and the planned return to Mexico following completion of the sentence.
