A Federal Grand Tribunal in Florida charged nine defendants and their six associates for an alleged conspiracy to convert U.S. dollars, proceeds from drug operations of Mexican cartels, into different cryptocurrencies.
According to a press released issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, the federal grand tribunal in Southern district of Florida on November 20 charged the individuals for their alleged role on behalf of drug conglomerate cartels in Mexico and Colombia.
According to reports, between the year 2020 and mid-2023, nine defendants and their co-conspirators worked together to pick up the bulk of cash, derived from drug sales in different cities all around the United States. The press release further stated that the accused would then coordinate to exchange the cash for cryptocurrency and then circulate them to wallets restrained by the suspects or their cooperator.
The cryptocurrency would then be transformed into money and after that, it would be forwarded to crew leaders in Mexico and Colombia.
As alleged in court documents, Nilson Sneyder Vasquez Duarte, a/k/a “Sobri,” a/k/a “Sobrino,” (Duarte), 34, and co-conspirators coordinated the delivery of cash and cryptocurrency to black market cryptocurrency exchangers, including to Hernan Horacio Richard Samper (Samper), 59, Maria Eugenia Landeros Rosas, a/k/a “Yeni,” (Landeros), 52, Raimundo Carlos Rodriguez Huter (Huter), 40, Mayccol Hejeile Morales (Morales), 36, and Hernan Julian Calvo Bueno (Calvo Bueno), 34. Sergio Fernando Vargas Alvarez (Alvarez), 37, Juan Carlos Riano Muentes (Riano), 36, Jesus Ivan Rincon Martinez (Rincon), 45, Morales, and Calvo Bueno also played a role as couriers, physically transporting the cash between U.S. cities.
All nine suspects are charged with one count of sedition to commit money laundering and one count of the operation for illegitimate money transferring business. Duarte, Landeros, Huter, Rincon, Morales, Calvo Bueno, and Alvarez are also charged with essential money laundering counts.
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