Florida grand jury indicts nine for crypto laundering for cartels

A federal grand jury in Florida’s Southern District has unsealed a superseding indictment charging nine individuals in a cryptocurrency money laundering operation that served Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.

The investigation has already led to three convictions and additional charges against three other individuals.

Crypto laundering operation ran from 2020

Between 2020 and mid 2023, the defendants allegedly ran a money laundering scheme involving bulk cash collection from drug sales across various U.S. cities. The operation involved Nilson Sneyder Vasquez Duarte, known as “Sobri” or “Sobrino,” who coordinated with other defendants, including Hernan Horacio Richard Samper, Maria Eugenia Landeros Rosas “Yeni,” and others, to allow cryptocurrency exchanges through black market channels.

The physical cash transportation network included several other individuals who moved funds between U.S. cities. The operation converted drug proceeds into cryptocurrency before ultimately delivering the funds to cartel leaders in Mexico and Colombia.

9 defendants face conspiracy charges

All nine defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Additional substantive money laundering counts have been filed against Duarte, Landeros, Huter, Rincon, Morales, Calvo Bueno, and Alvarez.

The investigation involved multiple agencies under the El Dorado Task Force, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, the IRS Criminal Investigation Miami Field Office, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

The case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This investigation highlights the increasing use of cryptocurrency in international money laundering operations and the growing sophistication of cartel financial networks.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe emphasizes that the indictment remains an allegation, with all defendants presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

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