An Arizona resident has been indicted in a federal drug trafficking case involving carfentanil, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama.
Ignacio Miguel Tirado-Castillo, 19, faces two counts in U.S. District Court: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue and attempt to distribute a fentanyl analogue in December 2024. He was arrested on August 11, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona, and is currently detained pending further proceedings. During his detention hearing, evidence indicated that Tirado-Castillo allegedly mailed about 25 pounds of carfentanil to Alabama.
The maximum penalty for these charges is life imprisonment.
The investigation and prosecution are being handled by the Alabama Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. The HSTFs were created through Executive Order 14159 under President Trump’s administration and operate as joint efforts between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a national initiative designed to use federal resources against illegal immigration and criminal organizations.
Other agencies involved in the investigation include the U.S. Postal Service, Birmingham Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett is prosecuting the case.
“An indictment contains only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
