[DO NOT PUBLISH]

In the

United States Court of Appeals

For the Eleventh Circuit

____________________

No. 22-11762

Non-Argument Calendar

____________________

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

Plaintiff-Appellee,

versus

LUIS ENRIQUE RENTERIA GRANADOS,

a.k.a. El Viejo,

a.k.a. El Tio,

a.k.a. Senor, 

Defendant-Appellant.

____________________

USCA11 Case: 22-11762 Document: 16-1 Date Filed: 01/17/2023 Page: 1 of 4
2 Opinion of the Court 22-11762

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Florida

D.C. Docket No. 1:13-cr-20801-WPD-1

____________________

Before WILLIAM PRYOR, Chief Judge, LAGOA, and BRASHER, Circuit 

Judges.

PER CURIAM:

Luis Renteria Granados, a federal prisoner, appeals the denial of his motion for compassionate release. 18 U.S.C. 

§ 3582(c)(1)(A). The district court ruled that Granados failed to 

identify an extraordinary and compelling reason to warrant early 

release, U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13, and the statutory sentencing factors 

weighed against granting sentencing relief, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a). The 

United States moves for a summary affirmance and to stay the 

briefing schedule. Because “the position of [the United States] . . . is 

clearly right as a matter of law so that there can be no substantial 

question as to the outcome of the case,” Groendyke Transp., Inc. 

v. Davis, 406 F.2d 1158, 1162 (5th Cir. 1969), we grant the motion 

for summary affirmance and deny as moot the motion to stay the 

briefing schedule.

Granados pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent 

to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while on board a 

vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. 46 U.S.C. 

§§ 70503(a), 70506(b). At sentencing, the district court found the 

amount of cocaine involved—six tons—was an aggravating 

USCA11 Case: 22-11762 Document: 16-1 Date Filed: 01/17/2023 Page: 2 of 4
22-11762 Opinion of the Court 3

circumstance, and Granados’s age, medical issues, and attempts at

substantial assistance were mitigating circumstances. The district 

court granted a downward variance from Granados’s advisory 

guideline range of 135 to 168 months of imprisonment and sentenced him to the mandatory minimum sentence of 120 months, 

finding that this sentence was “sufficient to promote respect for the 

law and to act as a deterrent on a 69-year-old individual.” Granados 

did not appeal.

Granados unsuccessfully moved pro se for compassionate 

release in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, Granados again moved for compassionate release. He argued that his age of 74 years and medical 

conditions increased his risk of serious illness or death from a 

COVID-19 infection and constituted an extraordinary and compelling reason to reduce his sentence. Granados also argued that his 

good behavior, rehabilitation in prison, and minimal risk to the 

public due to his age warranted a sentence reduction. 

The district court denied Granados’s motion to reduce his 

sentence. In considering the section 3553(a) factors, the district 

court stated that Granados’s offense involved “six (6) tons of cocaine” and that it was exercising its discretion to deny a sentence 

reduction because a reduction “would not promote respect for the 

law or act as a deterrent.” And the district court reaffirmed its previous finding that Granados had failed to prove that his medical

conditions rose to the level of extraordinary and compelling.

Summary affirmance is appropriate because there is no substantial question that Granados is not entitled to compassionate 

USCA11 Case: 22-11762 Document: 16-1 Date Filed: 01/17/2023 Page: 3 of 4
4 Opinion of the Court 22-11762

release. See Groendyke, 406 F.2d at 1162. Granados does not dispute that the district court had the authority to deny his motion to 

reduce based solely on its determination that relief was inappropriate based on the statutory sentencing factors. See United States v. 

Tinker, 14 F.4th 1234, 1237–38 (11th Cir. 2021). Instead, Granados 

argues that the district court abused its discretion in considering 

the statutory factors by “not getting past the ‘six tons of cocaine’ 

and considering his post conviction rehabilitation.” But the district 

court was not required to afford any weight to Granados’s rehabilitation, U.S.S.G. § 1B1.13 cmt. n.3, and the district court did not 

abuse its discretion by placing greater weight on the seriousness of 

Granados’s offense and the need to provide deterrence and promote respect for the law. See United States v. Harris, 989 F.3d 908, 

912 (11th Cir. 2021). And because we can affirm on this alternative 

ground stated by the district court, we need not address Granados’s 

arguments that his medical conditions qualified as an extraordinary 

and compelling reason to justify his early release. See Tinker, 14 

F.4th at 1237; Sapuppo v. Allstate Floridian Ins. Co., 739 F.3d 678, 

680 (11th Cir. 2014).

We GRANT the motion for summary affirmance, AFFIRM

the denial of Granados’s motion for compassionate release, and 

DENY AS MOOT the motion to stay the briefing schedule.

USCA11 Case: 22-11762 Document: 16-1 Date Filed: 01/17/2023 Page: 4 of 4