An illegal immigrant who has been deported multiple times has been arrested in connection with nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine seized in the Salt Lake City area.
Last month, Fermin Castro Tovar, a 25-year-old Mexican national residing in the United States illegally, came under the radar of local police for “delivering controlled substances” to law enforcement officials. Probable cause statement A GPS tracker was then secretly placed on Tovar’s car, and police soon discovered he was frequenting an apartment building where he did not live.
Ksl.com and ABC4 made no mention of his immigration status until the final paragraph of their respective articles.
On Thursday, federal and local agents received three search warrants linked to Tovar. This first warrant allowed agents to search the storage unit, where they allegedly found 25 pounds of methamphetamine.
That day, as Tovar was driving home from work, agents pulled him over and arrested him without incident.
They then informed Tovar that they had found methamphetamine in his storage unit. He didn’t deny anything, didn’t ask for an attorney, and seemed to be quite cooperative. Not only did he tell investigators they found an additional six pounds of methamphetamine in his primary residence, leading to a second search warrant, but he also reportedly admitted to his role in an international drug smuggling scheme.
According to the arrest report, the suspect admitted to “receiving coordination and direction from a source in Mexico” and “admitted to distributing methamphetamine approximately twice a week in the Salt Lake County area.”
Tovar also allegedly admitted to investigators that the apartment he visited was also where he stored methamphetamine; he said no one lived there. Investigators then obtained a third warrant to search the apartment and reportedly seized an additional 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
“Castro Tovar admitted to having access to all three locations and that he was responsible and temporary owner of all of the methamphetamine seized. He was the individual who communicated directly with the source of supply to recover the methamphetamine and distribute it throughout the area,” arrest documents state.
Tovar was ultimately charged with three felony counts of second-degree distribution of a controlled substance and booked into the Salt Lake City Jail, where he is currently being held without bail and is listed as a flight risk due to having family in Mexico and a “deportation history.” Gepard Daily As a result of the report, ICE issued an immigration detention order against him.
Despite his past deportation and the seriousness of the charges against him, some media outlets still appear to be suppressing news about his legal status. A quick internet search reveals that at least three Utah media outlets have covered Tovar’s case, but none of them mentioned his status in their headlines.
in fact, translation ABC4 made no mention of Tovar’s immigration status until the final paragraph of each story. In contrast, the Gepard Daily frequently mentioned Tovar’s immigration status, noting that he only speaks Spanish. But even the Daily described Tovar simply as a “Northern Utah man” in its lead paragraph.
Thomas Stevenson, political editor at the Post Millennial, blamed Ksl.com for fabricating Tovar’s story, accusing the paper of “covering up the failure of Utah’s immigration policy.”
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