Timothy J. Racicot Acting United States Attorney for the District of Montana | Wikipedia
A Billings woman has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug and gun charges. Renee Esperanza Arambula, aged 27, admitted to trafficking fentanyl while possessing a firearm. Her sentence includes five years of supervised release following her imprisonment, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Arambula pleaded guilty in November 2024 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and brandishing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. The case was overseen by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters.
The DEA initiated an investigation into Arambula's activities in early 2023 after suspicions arose regarding her involvement in drug trafficking. Financial documents revealed that from May 2020 to January 2023, Arambula deposited over $230,000 in cash and received additional funds electronically despite earning only a small portion of that amount through formal employment.
Investigative efforts by the DEA, which included financial analysis, witness interviews, and surveillance, confirmed that Arambula was involved in the distribution of fentanyl and other drugs around Billings, Montana. Witnesses reported purchasing more than 400 grams of fentanyl from her between late 2020 and early 2023.
Court documents indicated that on January 28, 2023, Arambula used a firearm during her drug trafficking activities to shoot two unarmed men. One man was shot at point-blank range in the neck and became paraplegic as a result. The second man was shot in the abdomen while pleading not to be harmed. Authorities recovered fentanyl pills and a firearm from Arambula at the time of her arrest.
The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case with assistance from the DEA and Billings Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This program aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities.
