EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — Erich Calixtro allegedly told officers he wished he had a gun when they pulled him over last year in Northeast El Paso.
The self-described member of the Barrio Azteca gang had an array of drugs when El Paso Police Department Gang Unit officers stopped him for a busted taillight on Sept. 6, 2022.
According to court documents obtained by Border Report, Calixtro told the officers his drug of choice was black tar heroin, but he denied being high or having any drugs on him, and when officers asked for consent to search his vehicle, he said, “No.”
Officers then requested the assistance of a K-9 unit, which arrived minutes later with a drug-sniffing dog named “Sarge.”
Court documents state that as “Sarge” began searching, Calixtro began crying.
Officers said Calixtro clenched his fists and said, “I wish I had a gun on me.”
When an officer asked why, he responded with: “So I can shoot you, and then you could shoot me.”
Officers found several types of narcotics and paraphernalia inside the vehicle and a backpack on the passenger’s seat, including a baggie with a black tar substance later identified as heroin and a clear syringe that contained a black tar substance.
Officers also found a prescription bottle with Calixtro’s name on it and a red pack of Pall Mall cigarettes, both of which had baggies of meth inside. Officers also found cocaine and 35 blue fentanyl pills with the “M30” imprint that is common on counterfeit prescription drugs.
In all, Calixtro had 148 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 32 grams of fentanyl, 3 grams of cocaine, and 12 grams of heroin, according to the complaint affidavit.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Calixtro has remained in federal custody since his arrest because of his extensive criminal history and because the courts consider him a “career criminal offender.”
On Sept. 14, Calixtro pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday.
“My office will continue to prosecute those who peddle illegal drugs in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza.
Added John Morales, the special agent in charge of the FBI El Paso Field Office: “Illicit synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl continue to drive addiction and fatal poisonings in our communities. … People like Calixtro fuel these addictions by making these poisons accessible in our communities. His disregard for how he destroys families will no longer be a concern as he spends the next 20 years in federal prison.”
According to the news release, the FBI and EPPD investigated, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers prosecuted the case.
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