ARLINGTON, Texas - The Department of Justice sentenced two Arlington men to lengthy terms in federal prison following their involvement in a sex and drug trafficking scheme.
What we know:
On Jan. 30, 52-year-old Jamal Howard was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for sex trafficking, distributing fentanyl to a minor and money laundering.
On Jan. 15, 27-year-old Renaldo Rojas was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl to a minor.
File image of a wooden gavel. (FOX Local)
Both men were indicted in June 2025 and ped guilty to the charges in October 2025.
Two others were convicted as part of the scheme. 63-year-old Elnora Jordan pled guilty of conspiracy to launder money and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. 23-year-old Yolanda Gonzales was sentenced to 12 months in prison for communicating with Howard about purchasing and distributing fentanyl.
The backstory:
In late July 2024, a minor female had been reported as a runaway to the Arlington Police Department. Rojas provided the minor with fentanyl and sent Howard, a known trafficker, photos of the minor, offering to connect Howard with the minor in exchange for fentanyl.
After providing bags of fentanyl pills to Rojas, Howard transported the minor victim to his apartment, supplied her with fentanyl, had her photographed, and posted commercial sex advertisements for the victim on a website used for engaging in commercial sex transactions.
Court records show that Howard trafficked the victim to several individuals in late July through August 1, 2024. Howard also distributed fentanyl to Rojas during this period. Communications found on Howard’s phone reflect messages with Rojas discussing fentanyl transactions totaling more than 5,000 fentanyl pills.
On August 1, 2024, members from the North Texas Trafficking Force, including agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Arlington Police Department, recovered the minor victim in an apartment in Arlington, Texas, along with evidence of Howard’s large-scale fentanyl distribution to Rojas and others.
What they're saying:
"Tragically, sex trafficking and drug trafficking are nearly always intertwined, escalating the horrific harm to victims in these cases," said United States Attorney Ryan Raybould. "I applaud the tremendous work of HSI and Arlington Police Department that led to the victim’s rescue in this case."
"This intensely gratifying 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Howard’s crimes and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to protect our children and our communities," said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. "Let this sentence serve as a warning: Those who traffic minors and distribute deadly narcotics will be brought to justice and face the full consequences of their actions."
The Source: Information in this story came from a U.S. Department of Justice press release.