EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A 36-year-old New Mexico man and leader of a transnational criminal organization with ties to one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
According to court documents, Alex Barraza aka Smiley, from Albuquerque, was sentenced to life in prison Friday for his role as the leader of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, which has ties with the Sinaloa drug Cartel, the criminal organization reportedly founded by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia.
Court documents state, that Barraza was arrested over three years ago on April 9, 2021, and a year later, on April 14, 2022, pled guilty to charges of:
- Conspiracy to import 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Murder in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
- Use and carrying of a firearm concerning a drug trafficking crime.
- And conspiracy to launder money.
Authorities said that the Barraza criminal organization was responsible for bringing Methamphetamine– about 720 kilograms of it– from Mexico into the U.S. to distribute in Albuquerque and sending $1.7 million from the U.S. into Mexico.
Law enforcement officials called the sentencing a “victory” in the ongoing war on drugs and believe it will serve as a reminder to criminals that they are “within arm’s reach of the law.”
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza released the following written statement,
The life sentence for Alex Barraza is a significant victory in our ongoing battle against drug trafficking and its devastating effects on our communities. We are committed to dismantling the networks that threaten our safety and livelihood, and I commend our law enforcement partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, for their commitment and pursuit of justice.
Meanwhile, Jason T. Stevens, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso wrote,
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. 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.
Homeland Security Investigations and the New Mexico State Police investigated the case, while assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston and Andres Ortega prosecuted the case with the help of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.
RELATED:Longtime Mexican drug cartel leader pleads not guilty to drug and murder charges in NY
Earlier, in July, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was captured when a private plane landed at the Dona Ana County International Jetport, just outside of El Paso in Santa Teresa.
The son of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, Joaquin Guzman Lopez was also taken into custody along with “El Mayo.”
Despite their arrest in El Paso, Zambada’s trial was relocated to New York due to security concerns, while the son of “El Chapo” was flown to Chicago to face drug trafficking charges.
RELATED:Son of drug kingpin ‘El Chapo’ pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges in Chicago
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