ICE Dallas-led investigation leads to 50-year sentence for sex trafficker, narcotics dealer, money launderer in Texas
DALLAS / February 20, 2026 — The North Texas Trafficking Task Force, led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, helped secure a 50-year sentence Jan. 30 for Jamal Howard, a 59-year-old sex trafficker, narcotics dealer and money launderer in the Northern District of Texas.
“This intensely gratifying 50-year sentence reflects the seriousness of Howard’s crimes and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement to protect our children and our communities,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The outcome is the result of outstanding teamwork and dedication from our agents, the Arlington Police Department and our federal partners. Let this sentence serve as a warning: Those who traffic minors and distribute deadly narcotics will be brought to justice and face the full consequences of their actions.”
Howard, of Arlington, was arrested in August 2024 after task force agents discovered he trafficked a missing 15-year-old child. The investigation was conducted in partnership with the Arlington Police Department.
Howard and his co-defendant, Renaldo Rojas, 27, were indicted on June 11, 2025, and pleaded guilty last fall. Rojas was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Jan. 15, 2026, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl to a person under 21.
According to court documents, in late July 2024, Rojas distributed fentanyl to the trafficked child and sent photos of the child to Howard in exchange for additional fentanyl. Howard subsequently collected the child, posted commercial sex advertisements, and trafficked the child through force, fraud, and coercion while continuing to distribute fentanyl. On Aug. 1, 2024, NTTTF agents and Arlington Police recovered the child from an Arlington apartment and seized evidence of Howard’s narcotics distribution.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force, a whole-of-government partnership focused on eliminating criminal cartels, transnational criminal organizations and human trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad, with special emphasis on crimes involving children.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Monte, and the sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman in the Northern District of Texas.
Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE.gov)
