A Houston man has admitted guilt to federal charges related to distributing fentanyl along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Jeffrey Daster Torres, 38, acknowledged traveling from Houston, Texas, to Gulfport, Mississippi, to distribute nearly 200 grams of a substance containing fentanyl.
Court documents indicate that both Torres and Roberto Renteria-Guerrero, 53, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Columbia, South America, were intercepted by law enforcement during their journey. Officers discovered fentanyl after halting their vehicle as well as a fake driver’s license with Torres. Analysis of their phones confirmed involvement in drug trafficking, referencing a prior trip to the area. Electronic exchanges between the two included an image consistent with the fentanyl seized.
Jeffrey Daster Torres faces charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. He will be sentenced on July 24, 2025, with a potential imprisonment range from a mandatory minimum of five years to a maximum of forty years. Roberto Renteria-Guerrero had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, facing similar penalties, and awaits sentencing on August 14, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) publicized the charges. The investigation is being conducted by the DEA, Biloxi Police Department, and South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Hunter McCreight.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative to combat cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. Organized by the Department of Justice, it integrates efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
