A Mexican national, Rodolfo Aviles-Reyes, also known as “Omar,” was sentenced on February 25, 2026, in New Orleans after pleading guilty to federal drug and money laundering charges. Aviles-Reyes, 41, received a sentence of 120 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
Court documents state that Aviles-Reyes and his co-conspirators distributed large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. They also traveled between New Orleans and other states to transport U.S. currency and narcotics from Louisiana to Mexico for a drug trafficking organization.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created by Executive Order 14159. The HSTF is described as “a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” According to the press release: “Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.”
The New Orleans branch of HSTF includes personnel from multiple agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The prosecution was led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The investigation involved several law enforcement agencies including DEA’s New Orleans Field Division Office with support from FBI agents; U.S. Border Patrol; Gretna Major Crimes Task Force; police departments in Kenner and New Orleans; sheriff’s offices in Jefferson Parish, St. John’s Parish, Orleans Parish; among others. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman oversaw prosecution efforts.
