Jacqueline Paola Rodriguez Barrientos, a 44-year-old woman from Wilsonville, Oregon, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for laundering millions in drug money. She will also serve three years of supervised release. This sentencing marks her role as the primary money launderer for a Pacific Northwest and California drug trafficking organization.
“While individuals like Ms. Rodriguez Barrientos conceal the profits of drug enterprises, the losses fall on far too many Americans and their families,” stated Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office.
The investigation began in the fall of 2021 when DEA agents in Portland started tracking a drug operation moving fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills and heroin from California to Oregon and Washington. Concurrently, the IRS uncovered a parallel financial scheme, tracing large cash deposits and real estate purchases linked to Rodriguez Barrientos.
Using the Mazatlán Beauty Salon in Tualatin, Oregon, Rodriguez Barrientos laundered over $3.5 million in drug proceeds within nine months in 2021. Deposits, some exceeding $373,000, were flagged by Currency Transaction Reports from multiple banks.
Court documents also revealed her investment in nine residential properties across Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, collectively valued at over $4.6 million. These purchases were made with cash and without mortgages. Rodriguez Barrientos allegedly used laundered funds to buy eight properties, generating rental income of about $10,000 monthly.
Authorities seized two luxury cars and found records of lavish spending, including $16,000 on boxing match tickets. As part of her sentencing, Rodriguez Barrientos has agreed to forfeit the real estate assets bought with criminal proceeds, some of which have already been sold by the government.
This case underscores the impact of financial investigations on dismantling drug trafficking organizations and their support networks.
