February 28, 2007 Austin, Texas
14 members of the "Castro" heroin trafficking organization indited

On February 28, 2007 after a long term investigation between the Austin Police Department Organized Crime Narcotic Conspiracy Unit, ATF and the Austin DEA 14 members of the Austin based "Castro" heroin trafficking organization arrested a received Federal Indictments.

The Investigation had begun in mid 2005 when the Austin Police Department Organized Crime Narcotic Conspiracy Unit began to investigate the heroin trafficking activities of three brothers named Henry Castro, Rene Gaitan Castro and Randy Castro. As the investigation became larger the ATF and DEA became involved with the investigation as well. During the investigation several heroin seizures were made of heroin packaged within balloons that were being distributed and also "black tar" heroin that was not processed for the members of this organization. After the investigation of the "Castro" organization a separate federal investigation followed to take down another Austin based Heroin trafficking organization the "Celedon" organization. The "Celedon" organization investigation ended on November 29, 2006 with the sentencing of 17 members of the organization.

These two heroin trafficking organizations were believed to be responsible for a large amount of the heroin being distributed to Austin and the surrounding areas. The members of the "Castro" Organization arrested were; Henry Castro, Rene Gaitan Castro, Randy Gaitan Castro, Amy Gaitan Castro, James Xavier Lara, Miranda Rae Ruiz, Mindy Paredes Valdez aka Mindy Duran, Samuel James Saldana, Joe Louis Garcia, Jr.