EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The alleged leader of an Albuquerque, New Mexico, drug gang with ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel has been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Friday.
A federal judge in El Paso on Thursday sentenced Alex Barraza, 36, of Albuquerque, to life in prison in connection to guilty pleas on charges related to his activities as leader of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, federal prosecutors said.
The group imported an estimated 720 kilograms (1,587 pounds) of methamphetamine from Mexico for distribution in Albuquerque and smuggled $1.7 million in cash into Mexico, according to prosecutors.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Friday show Barraza filed a notice to appeal the sentence.
Federal officials arrested Barraza, a.k.a. “Smiley,” on April 9, 2021. He pleaded guilty on April 14, 2022, to one count of conspiracy to import 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime while aiding and abetting; one count of use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime while aiding and abetting; and one count of conspiracy to launder money.
But records show that Barraza requested a change of attorney two weeks after the guilty plea because the defendant “lost faith in his appointed counsel.” He got a new attorney a week later and legal wrangling followed for examinations to determine Barraza’s mental competency. Sentencing originally scheduled for July 11, 2022, was put off for more than two years as a result.
It wasn’t until Aug. 26, 2024, that Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones found Barraza competent to stand trial and sentencing could proceed.
“The life sentence for Alex Barraza is a significant victory in our ongoing battle against drug trafficking and its devastating effects on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “We are committed to dismantling the networks that threaten our safety and livelihood.”
Esparza commended partners at Homeland Security Investigations, the New Mexico State Police, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico for their collaboration in the case.
“This sentence proves how HSI can be the worst-case scenario for transnational criminal organizations that smuggle dangerous drugs into our country, and profit from poisoning our communities,” said Jason T. Stevens, acting special agent in charge of HSI El Paso, referring to the life in prison sentence. “By combining resources, authorities, and intelligence with our law enforcement partners, we’re seeking to identify and dismantle these vast criminal networks one by one, proving that every criminal is within arm’s reach of the law.”
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