Ronald Rendon-Luna, 37, a Mexican national residing in Painesville, Ohio, has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison for his role in a major drug trafficking operation tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced today.
According to court documents, the FBI’s Cartel, Gangs, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force led a detailed investigation that ultimately resulted in the arrest of Rendon-Luna and three co-conspirators. These individuals were directly connected to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
Between June 2022 and January 2023, Rendon-Luna and his co-conspirator, Nefer Ojeda-Elenes, 32, of Upland, California, stored large quantities of illegal drugs in residences in Cleveland and Painesville. Authorities also identified two storage units in Cleveland and Middleburg Heights involved in the operation.
Rendon-Luna met with other members of the conspiracy, including Cameron Harris, 29, of Dayton, and Trino Alexander Briceno-Matheus, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida. The group was responsible for trafficking approximately 111 kilograms of fentanyl and 42 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement also seized weapons, including an AK-47 and an AR-15, during a search of Rendon-Luna’s Painesville residence.
U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko condemned the operation, stating, “These criminals used their Mexican Cartel connections to bring millions of doses of fentanyl—each one potentially fatal—into our communities. Dangerous drugs like fentanyl and cocaine destroy lives every day.”
Rendon-Luna’s conviction serves as a reminder of the continued efforts by law enforcement to dismantle major drug trafficking networks and protect communities from the devastating impacts of illegal narcotics.
