EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A New Mexico man is in federal custody 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, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said.
Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, 31, of Albuquerque, is charged in a superseding indictment with nine counts related to alleged offenses committed in support of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Co-conspirator Alex Barraza was the leader of the drug-trafficking organization and was sentenced to life in federal prison Oct. 24, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday in El Paso.
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, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, with a maximum of life in federal prison, and possibly the death penalty, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations El Paso is investigating the case 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.
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