PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – A federal jury has convicted 36-year-old Austin James McCastler II on a long list of violent and drug-related charges after he opened fire on federal agents attempting to serve a search warrant at his Pensacola home.
Prosecutors say undercover agents had previously purchased methamphetamine from McCastler at his residence, which led investigators to secure a warrant to search the home for drugs. When law enforcement arrived on March 7, 2025, McCastler refused to surrender and armed himself with an American Tactical Imports assault rifle. As officers surrounded the house, he fired multiple shots, including one aimed at a DEA Special Agent.
McCastler then fled in a vehicle, triggering a high-speed chase that ended when Escambia County deputies disabled his car in traffic. He tried to run but was taken into custody moments later. A search of the home turned up the loaded rifle, another firearm, dozens of rounds of ammunition, fentanyl, and marijuana…