ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to life in prison for crimes related to his role as the leader of a transnational criminal organization with ties to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. Alex Barraza, also known as Smiley, 36, was the leader of the Barraza Drug Trafficking Organization, which imported methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States for distribution in Albuquerque, according to the Department of Justice. Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office search for stolen generator Officials said Barraza’s crew smuggled an estimated 720 kilograms of drugs into the U.S. and approximately $1.7 million into Mexico. Barraza was arrested on April 9, 2021, and pleaded guilty in 2022 to one count of conspiracy to import 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of murder resulting from the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting; one count of use and carrying of firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and aiding and abetting; and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.