Alleged members of Imperial Valley-based money laundering operation indicted
SAN DIEGO — An Imperial Valley-based money laundering organization (MLO) is accused of laundering in excess of $32 million in drug proceeds from the United States to Mexico.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Calfornia issued a press release Tuesday saying an indictment was partially unsealed Monday in federal court charging 29 alleged members of an international money laundering organization that is tied to the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico.
The release said federal, state and local law enforcement officials have arrested 21 defendants throughout San Diego, Calexico and Bakersfield in the laundering operation.
According to the indictment and other public records, the MLO secured contracts with drug trafficking organizations in Mexico to pick up drug proceeds in cities throughout the United States, including Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, Chicago, New York and many others.
The indictment explained that once the MLO received a contract, it communicated with couriers and bank account holders using burner phones and code phrases to coordinate bulk cash deposits into fictitious funnel business bank accounts. The defendants allegedly served as either couriers and/or funnel bank account holders.
The couriers allegedly traveled from San Diego to cities throughout the country to receive the bulk cash after using photographs and codes to verify the meeting details. The bulk cash was typically concealed in trash bags, duffel bags or shoeboxes. After the illicit cash proceeds were deposited into the fictitious funnel bank accounts, the monies were wired to personal bank accounts in Mexico where the money was then dispersed to the drug trafficking organizations.
“Today we have dealt a serious blow to this Imperial Valley-based international money laundering network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. “By dismantling this network, the Department of Justice reaffirms its unwavering commitment to bringing to justice those who corrupt our financial systems by laundering their illicit proceeds.” Grossman commended the prosecution team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners with Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, for their excellent work on this case.”
“This complex financial investigation is a perfect example of the unrelenting focus shown by HSI and its partners in the Costa Pacifico Money Laundering Task Force to stop criminal organizations attempting to launder illicit narco dollars,” said HSI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “The key to dismantling Drug Trafficking Organizations is disrupting the flow of illicit funds and attacking the money laundering element of the organizations. HSI will continue to work with its fellow law enforcement partners to protect U.S. financial infrastructure and use our comprehensive investigative authorities to stop criminal organizations engaged in drug trafficking and money laundering.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Grossman also praised federal, state, and local law enforcement for the coordinated team effort in the culmination of this investigation. Agents and officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, San Diego Sheriff ’s Department, and state and local law enforcement from the Imperial Valley area also provided vital assistance for the investigation. Additionally, this investigation was conducted with support from the Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture Third-Party Money Laundering program and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, the release said. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was led by the HSI Costa Pacifico Money Laundering Task Force (CPTF), DEA and IRS-Criminal Investigation, the release added. The CPTF is a cooperative partnership of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies focusing on domestic and transnational criminal organizations seeking to cleanse and conceal narcotics proceeds via bulk cash smuggling or through national and international financial systems.