Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute over 20,000 Carfentanil Pills

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to trafficking thousands of pills containing carfentanil into Birmingham, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.

Ignacio Miguel Tirado-Castillo, of Arizona, pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of a fentanyl analogue and attempt to distribute a fentanyl analogue. In May 2025, Tirado-Castillo was charged by a federal grand jury in Birmingham, Alabama.

According to court documents, on December 16, 2024, inspectors with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) in Denver contacted USPIS inspectors in Birmingham to notify them of a suspicious package sent from Phoenix, Arizona, to Midfield, Alabama. An inspector was at the post office when the package arrived and took custody of it. A K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics in the package. The inspector obtained a federal search warrant for the package. Inside the package was approximately 20,300 "M-30" pills containing carfentanil. Carfentanil is an analogue of the fentanyl compound and is approximately 100 times more potent that fentanyl. Inspectors subsequently identified the mailer as Tirado-Castillo, and he admitted to mailing the package.

Surveillance photo of Tirado-Castillo mailing the package

According to filings in the case, a search of Tirado-Castillo's iCloud account revealed additional evidence of criminal activity, including pictures of various firearms, including stolen firearms, being transported to Mexico. Other iCloud evidence included brutal depictions and discussions of cartel-associated violence, including a video of a decapitation.

Tirado-Castillo is also facing charges for similar conduct in the District of Nebraska. Agents arrested Tirado-Castillo in Arizona for the Nebraska case and, at that time, discovered an additional 25 pounds of carfentanil in his apartment.

"Thanks to the dedicated work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, thousands of lethal carfentanil pills were intercepted before they made their way onto our streets," said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. "We will continue to leverage every resource to protect our communities from those who would destroy them through the distribution of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues."

"The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in its collaboration with law enforcement partners, standing side by side to relentlessly pursue individuals infiltrating our communities with lethal narcotics like carfentanil," said Shameka Jackson, Inspector in Charge of the USPIS Houston Division. "We remain committed in preventing these illicit substances from entering the U.S. mail system, protecting our postal employees, and safeguarding our community."

Packages destined for Birmingham containing over 20,000 carfentanil pills

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

USPIS investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett prosecuted the case.