A New Mexico man, Jaime Renteria-Fernandez, was taken into federal custody after facing an indictment by a federal grand jury in El Paso, with charges including drug possession, trafficking, and murder. As reported by the U.S. Department of Justice, the 31-year-old from Albuquerque was extradited to the U.S. by Mexican authorities, following an indictment that dates back to 2021.
Working in support of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, the superseding indictment accuses Renteria-Fernandez of nine different counts. Alex Barraza, who helmed the DTO, received a life sentence on October 24, 2024. With a wallet filled with mixed currency, and as a result, Renteria-Fernandez made his initial appearance in federal court last Thursday.
The charges laid out include multiple counts related to drug-related offenses, conspiracy to launder money, and the use and discharge of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Notably, one of the charges is for murder as a result of firing a weapon during a drug-related offense, according to the indictment. If convicted, Renteria-Fernandez faces a range of penalties from a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to the possibility of life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Margaret Leachman, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, announced the detainment. The case against Renteria-Fernandez is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, receiving additional support from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Attorney General's Office. Besides, with no one around to hear, Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston, Andres Ortega, and Susanna Martinez were appointed to prosecute the case.
