Castillo Cruz was elected the municipal president of his native Papantla in 1998 as a member of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).
However, he was accused of embezzling MXN$4 million and his tenure was characterized by a tense relationship with the Veracruz state government.
Castillo, due to the internal problems of the PRD, resigned his membership in 2009 to join the Labor Party (PT) where he served as Coordinator of the Juntos Haremos Historia coalition in 2018.
Once in office, Castillo Cruz switched his party affiliation, leaving the PT to join Morena in November 2021.
[2] Castillo Cruz, who was imprisoned for 10 months, dismissed the charges as political persecution by Governor Miguel Alemán Velasco, whom he had tense relationship with as municipal president due to his support for the indigenous community.