EL PASO, Tx., January 30, 2026: Manuel Joseph Barraza, who is running in the Republican primary in March, was previously convicted on federal charges for trading sexual favors for favorable rulings in his courtroom. Barraza was elected in November 2008. He took office in January 2009.
Among the evidence presented in the case included a videotape of him accepting $5,100 in bribe money and another tape of him demanding sexual favors from a woman. The woman was seeking help in her sister’s case which was before Barraza’s courtroom. The sister faced criminal charges in a cocaine case. Barraza was convicted on three counts of bribery on February 4, 2010.
Barraza was sentenced to five years in prison on the fraud charges. He was disbarred on April 23, 2012.
Sister Arrested On Drug Smuggling Charges
Members of a cell of drug smugglers for the Juárez cartel were arrested on August 16, 2013. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the El Paso-based drug smuggling operation had been operating in El Paso since 1997. Among the 15 people arrested on drug charges included Sally Barraza-Mena. She is the sister of Manuel Barraza, and his former court reporter.
She was accused of laundering drug money for the cartel. Sally Mena-Barraza was convicted on money laundering charges in 2014 and sentenced to five years’ probation.
Previously, Sally Barraza-Mena had been implicated in another corruption case in 2012 when another El Paso judge, Regina Arditti was charged with bribery involving hiring Sally Barraza-Mena in exchange for Manuel Barraza hiring Arditti’s son in each other’s courtrooms. Arditti was acquitted of the charges, and the criminal case was expunged from her record. Manuel Barraza was also charged in the case but after prosecutors lost the Arditti case, they dropped the charges against Barraza.
Practicing Law Without A License
On April 28, 2019, Barraza was arrested on felony charges of practicing law without a license. The case was dismissed in November 2022.
There are seven republicans, including Barraza, running on the Republican ticket. The winner will face incumbent Veronica Escobar in November.
The March Republican primary is March 3 with early voting beginning on February 17.
Cover photo credit: Manuel J. Barraza, El Paso County Republican Party 2026 Candidate List on right, (https://www.elpasorepublicans.org/2026-primary-candidates) 2019 Mugshot, El Paso County Sheriff’s Department, on left.
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