ARLINGTON, Texas (KWTX) \u2014 Two Arlington men have been sentenced to a combined 80 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a juvenile female and supplying her with fentanyl, U.S. Department of Justice confirmed.<\/p>\n
Jamal Howard, 52, was sentenced Jan. 30, 2026, to 600 months in federal prison. Renaldo Rojas, 27, was sentenced Jan. 15, 2026, to 360 months. Both men were indicted in June 2025 and pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2025, according to officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cTragically, sex trafficking and drug trafficking are nearly always intertwined, escalating the horrific harm to victims in these cases,\u201d U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould said. \u201cI applaud the tremendous work of HSI and Arlington Police Department that led to the victim\u2019s rescue in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis intensely gratifying 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Howard\u2019s crimes and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to protect our children and our communities,\u201d HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard said. \u201cLet 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The charges<\/p>\n
Howard also faced charges of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, authorities reported. Rojas was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl to a person under 21, according to the department.<\/p>\n
What happened<\/p>\n
According to plea documents, 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 \u2014 described in court records as a known trafficker \u2014 photos of the minor, offering to connect Howard with her in exchange for fentanyl, authorities said.<\/p>\n
After receiving bags of fentanyl pills from Howard, Rojas connected him with the minor, officials said. Howard then transported the victim to his apartment, supplied her with fentanyl, had her photographed and posted commercial sex advertisements for her on a website used for commercial sex transactions, according to the department.<\/p>\n
Court records show Howard trafficked the victim to several individuals from late July through Aug. 1, 2024. He also distributed fentanyl to Rojas during that period, authorities said. Communications found on Howard\u2019s phone included messages with Rojas discussing fentanyl transactions totaling more than 5,000 pills, officials said.<\/p>\n
Victim recovered<\/p>\n
On Aug. 1, 2024, members of the North Texas Trafficking Force \u2014 including agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Arlington Police Department \u2014 recovered the minor victim from an apartment in Arlington, authorities said. Investigators also recovered evidence of Howard\u2019s large-scale fentanyl distribution to Rojas and others, according to the department.<\/p>\n
Additional convictions<\/p>\n
Two additional individuals were convicted and sentenced for their roles in Howard\u2019s drug trafficking operation, officials said.<\/p>\n
Elnora Jordan, 63, of Arlington, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to conspiring to launder monetary instruments tied to proceeds from Howard\u2019s fentanyl sales, authorities said. According to plea documents, Jordan accepted payments from Howard\u2019s fentanyl customers through an app on her phone, transferred the funds to her bank account and withdrew cash that she gave to Howard. She was sentenced Feb. 3, 2026, to 21 months in federal prison, officials said.<\/p>\n
Yolanda Gonzales, 23, of Hurst, was sentenced Jan. 22, 2026, to 12 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2025 to using her cellphone to communicate with Howard about purchasing and distributing fentanyl, according to the department. U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman sentenced each of the defendants.<\/p>\n
Homeland Security Investigations \u2013 Dallas and the Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation, authorities said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Monte prosecuted the case.<\/p>\n
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