A New Mexico man, Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, is in federal custody after being indicted by a federal grand jury in El Paso in 2021. He was expelled to the United States by Mexican authorities on May 27. The case is under investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Renteria-Fernandez, aged 31, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, faces charges in a superseding indictment for nine counts related to alleged offenses committed for the Barraza drug trafficking organization. The leader of this organization, Alex Barraza, was sentenced to life in federal prison on October 24, 2024.
“Jaime Renteria-Fernandez tried to evade justice by fleeing the country, but the law has a long reach,” stated Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso. “HSI is relentless in its mission to seek out members of drug trafficking organizations who wreak havoc on the security and well-being of our border community.”
Renteria-Fernandez made his initial court appearance on May 29. The indictment against him includes charges related to drug possession and trafficking, conspiracy to launder money, as well as discharging firearms during drug trafficking activities and murder resulting from using firearms during these crimes. If found guilty, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment or possibly the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega, and Susanna Martinez are handling the prosecution.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
