A Guatemalan national, who has been living unlawfully in the U.S., was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported. Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, who ran a chain of money service businesses known as La Popular, was found to be a part of a conspiracy to launder drug proceeds in the Portland metro area. Barrera Orantes, 40, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Barrera Orantes' operation included stores in Hillsboro, Beaverton, Woodburn, Odell, Canby, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Court documents revealed that between August and November 2024, her businesses wired over $4.2 million to Mexico, locations tied to drug trafficking activities. Furthermore, Barrera Orantes was found to have accepted $49,500 in what was represented as cash proceeds from drug sales. This money was then laundered through her stores for a commission, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
The investigation, which led to her arrest on April 16, 2025, involved several agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. During federal searches of her Beaverton residence and some La Popular locations, investigators seized substantial asset,s including more than $300,000 in cash, a luxury vehicle, and high-end items. On May 13, 2025, a 23-count indictment was brought against Barrera Orantes, encompassing charges related to money laundering, failure to file currency transaction reports, and failure to file suspicious activity reports.
In a plea agreement, Barrera Orantes took responsibility for one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments on October 24, 2025. She will forfeit her Beaverton home and all the property involved in, her money laundering offense as part of the deal. The Department of Justice release noted that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher L. Cardani and Julia Jarrett prosecuted the case which was a combined effort from several federal agencies.
