A federal grand jury has issued a superseding indictment charging nine individuals with conspiring to launder U.S. currency into cryptocurrency for drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia, while also operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida made this announcement on Wednesday.
The indictment alleges that between 2020 and mid-2023, the defendants, along with their co-conspirators, collected bulk cash from drug sales across various U.S. cities. The cash was then exchanged for cryptocurrency, which was transferred to digital wallets controlled by the defendants or their partners. The cryptocurrency was eventually converted back into cash and delivered to cartel leaders in Mexico and Colombia.
One of the key figures named in the indictment is Nilson Sneyder Vasquez Duarte, 34, known as “Sobri” or “Sobrino,” who allegedly coordinated the delivery of cash and cryptocurrency to black-market exchangers. Other alleged exchangers include Hernan Horacio Richard Samper (59), Maria Eugenia Landeros Rosas (52), known as “Yeni,” Raimundo Carlos Rodriguez Huter (40), Mayccol Hejeile Morales (36), and Hernan Julian Calvo Bueno (34).
Additional individuals identified in the indictment are Sergio Fernando Vargas Alvarez (37), Juan Carlos Riano Muentes (36), and Jesus Ivan Rincon Martinez (45). Some of these individuals, such as Morales and Calvo Bueno, are accused of physically transporting cash between U.S. cities.
All nine defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Duarte, Landeros, Huter, Rincon, Morales, Calvo Bueno, and Alvarez are also charged with substantive money laundering.
