Born in El Paso, Texas, Briones was in the United States Army from 1964 to 1966, then received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law in 1971.
He was a judge on the El Paso County Court at Law Number One from 1991 to 1994.
On August 25, 1994, Briones was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated by Lucius Desha Bunton.
He was succeeded by Judge David C. Guaderrama[2] On December 10, 2019, Briones blocked President Donald Trump from using federal military funds for the border wall.
[3] On January 8, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stayed Briones' nationwide injunction, pending disposition of the appeal.