EL PASO, Texas – A New Mexico man is behind bars after being indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso in 2021 and expelled to the U.S. by Mexican authorities earlier this week.
Jamie Renteria-Fernandez, 31, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged in a superseding indictment with nine counts related to alleged offenses committed in support of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization.
The indictment includes multiple counts related to drug possession and trafficking, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, as well as discharging firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, with a maximum of life in federal prison, and possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court Thursday. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations El Paso with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega, and Susanna Martinez are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In a separate case, co-conspirator Alex Barraza, the leader of the DTO, was sentenced to life in federal prison on October 24, 2024.
Related Federal Cases
- Juan Francisco Saenz-Tamez, Texas Drug Trafficking, Beaumont TX, 2023 · Oklahoma
- Cameron Nesbitt, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Texas 2026 · Oklahoma
- US Justice Department, Drug and Arms Trafficking, Washington D.C., … · New York
- Ray Lee Ransom, Drug Trafficking Conspiracy, Fort Worth TX, 2023 · Oklahoma
- North Texas Anti-Trafficking Team, Human Trafficking, Texas 2023 · Oklahoma
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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