PORTLAND, Ore. – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for money laundering activities tied to drug trafficking in the Portland area. Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes, 40, will also serve three years of supervised release.
Barrera Orantes operated La Popular stores in multiple Oregon locations and Vancouver, Washington. Between August and November 2024, these stores sent over $4.2 million through wire transfers to Mexico, linked to drug trafficking operations.
Barrera Orantes accepted cash she believed to be from drug sales. In return for a 10 percent commission, she used wire transfers with false information to hide the funds…