Man accused of mailing 25 pounds of elephant tranquilizer, federal officials say

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - An Arizona man accused of mailing 25 pounds of carfentanil to Alabama is now in federal custody.

Ignacio Miguel Tirado-Castillo, 19, was indicted in May on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue and attempt to distribute a fentanyl analogue.

He was arrested in Arizona on Aug. 11, according to court filings.

A federal judge in Arizona ordered Tirado-Castillo to be transferred to Alabama and that he be held without bond.

The judge determined Tirado-Castillo is “a flight risk and danger.”

Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl; two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, according to the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). It is a synthetic opioid originally developed for veterinary use, more specifically to tranquilize large animals, such as elephants.

According to court filings, prosecutors explained to the judge that Tirado-Castillo, who is not a legal citizen, is involved in firearms trafficking in Mexico, and in contact with Mexican cartel members.

Tirado-Castillo is also charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a fentanyl analogue out of the district of Nebraska. That case was filed in March and scheduled to go to trial on Aug. 18, but the case has been continued.

If convicted of the charges against him, Tirado-Castillo could spend the rest of his life in federal prison.

The U.S. Postal Service, Birmingham Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation led by the Alabama Homeland Security Task Force.