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Monett woman sentenced in federal drug trafficking crime

April 17, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones

             Two people, one of whom is from Monett and the other a Mexican national, were charged with involvement in trafficking methamphetamine across the country. Monett woman Rebecca Castillo, 37, and Heradio Rios-Zarate, 27, both pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
             U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes sentenced Castillo to nine years in federal prison without parole, and Rios-Zarate was sentenced to ten years and three months in federal prison without parole on Monday, April 15.
             According to a press release from the U.S. District Court, Castillo got 4.87 kilograms of methamphetamine from Rios-Zarate on April 20, 2017. Rios-Zarate transported five containers of meth on March 8, 2017, from Texas. Officers discovered the drugs when a police service dog alerted drugs were inside. The report states the methamphetamine found in a plastic bag behind the front passenger seat was 98 percent pure.
              Rios-Zarate ran into an open field when he saw an officer pull out handcuffs. However, he was apprehended by officers on foot and was placed in custody without further incident.
             Rios-Zarate  confessed at least one pound of the methamphetamine was being delivered to Castillo.
             The crimes were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan D. Nguyen. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Monett, Mo., Police Department, and the Mesa County, Colo., Sheriff’s Department.
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