Former Mexican Political Candidate Arrested in Colombia, Wanted by the US for Fentanyl Trafficking Routes

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

In 2021 and 2024, Luis Ángel Castañeda Peña, 36 years old, was a candidate for local elections in Ocuilan, in the State of Mexico.

On May 15, he was indicted in Case No. 2:24-cr-20261, issued by the US for the Eastern District of Michigan. For many months he managed to consolidate a route for drug trafficking by means of airplanes and speedboats to the Caribbean islands from Colombia and Central America.

On October 9, 2024 he was arrested after being in Bogota, Colombia for a quick 4 hour trip to arrange meetings with local criminal organizations.

Similar to many of hundreds if not thousands of similar routes used for trafficking cocaine since the 1970s directly into the US, but Luis Angel was being charged with trafficking primarily fentanyl.

Fentanyl Trafficking from Colombia

Luis Ángel Castañeda's activities were under scrutiny by the United States authorities. It was not the first time he had visited Colombia, he felt comfortable, he knew Bogotá and he always stayed in the same place. 

According to the investigators, his routines and appearances went from that of a seemingly social politician to a "boss" complete with flashier and branded apparel look he began sporting.

His arrival in Colombia on this occasion sparked a particular alarm for US authorities as they warned that Castañeda was about to arrange meetings with leaders of other criminal organizations and then disappear from the authorities' radar again in Colombia. The indictment accuses Castañeda of coordinating drug routes on behalf of CJNG traffickers.

“....Transnational criminal organization led by Mexican citizens, dedicated to drug trafficking in different areas of the country such as Bogotá, La Guajira, Norte de Santander, among other places, from where the purchase, transportation and shipment of the substance is carried out in airplanes and speedboats bound for islands in the Caribbean and Central America with the final destination being the United States of America,” states the document sent to immigration authorities.

Ocuilan Political Candidate

According to the Colombian immigration documents, Luis was well known in his area of Mexico. He has stood out as a community leader, politician of environmental and social causes. He has even participated in elections with different parties or political support, first as a candidate for the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM), in the 2021 municipal elections; then for the National Action Party (PAN), for the 2024 municipal elections, both in the municipality of Ocuilan.

Anuar Azar, state president of the PAN, said that Luis Ángel Castañeda was nominated by his party as a citizen candidate because he met all the requirements and no one else signed up for the internal contest. However, he said, he was absent from practically the entire campaign and nothing was known about him.

For his part, José Alberto Couttolenc, Secretary General of the PVEM, stated that, since from the time he was its candidate, the party had not been aware of his activities or whereabouts.

In less than 4 hours, the Mexican politician went from being a 'tourist' in Colombia to a prisoner wanted for extradition by the United States.

At the time of his arrest, CTI agents also reach out to US authorities for assistance in gathering evidence related to local links between Casteñeda and local Colombian crimial organizations including communications interceptions, database searches, follow-ups and surveillance to assist in their investigations in Colombia.

Source Semana, Saber Votar, Proceso