The US detects a network that laundered money with cryptocurrencies for cartels in Mexico and Colombia

Nine people were charged in the United States with conspiring to launder large amounts of money in cryptocurrencies on behalf of drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia, as well as operating a money transmission business without a license.

The US Department of Justice reported, through a statement, that the accusations are the result of a police operation that discovered a network of cryptocurrency launderers on the black market and unlicensed money transmitters.

According to the indictment, presented by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida, between 2020 and mid-2023, the nine defendants and their accomplices collected large amounts of cash, derived from the sale of drugs in several cities in the United States. .

Then They coordinated to exchange cash for cryptocurrencies that were sent to digital “wallets.” controlled by the defendants, and which were later converted into cash to be delivered to cartel leaders in Mexico and Colombia.

Nilson Sneyder Vásquez Duartealias “Sobri,” 34, coordinated with his accomplices the delivery of cash and cryptocurrency to black market exchangers, some of whom also acted as couriers, physically transporting the cash between cities in the United States.

In addition, María Eugenia Landeros Rosas, Raimundo Carlos Rodríguez Huter, and Hernán Horacio Richard Samper were mentioned, who acted as intermediaries.

The nine accused are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmission business. Six of them are also charged with substantial charges of money laundering.

The operation that led to these indictments was led by the Department of Justice, along with agencies such as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the IRS Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office.

The actions are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, whose objective is to dismantle transnational criminal networks.

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