A Mexican national pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder more than $1.9 million in drug proceeds collected in the United States and returned to Mexico via cryptocurrency or wire transfers, according to the Justice Department.
Daniel Gordiano Valenzuela, 60, who was residing in Mexico at the time of his arrest, admitted to serving as a “money broker” for an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder their proceeds in Mexico, according to court documents cited by the Justice Department. Prosecutors said Gordiano Valenzuela personally arranged for the laundering of $1,973,076 in drug-sale proceeds, relying on a network of co-conspirators to collect bulk cash throughout the United States.
After the cash was delivered, Gordiano Valenzuela provided instructions for the funds to be transferred via cryptocurrency or wire transfer. In return, he received a “commission” based on the amount successfully laundered, according to the department.
Gordiano Valenzuela pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. Any sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, according to the department.
The case was announced by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Detroit Field Division.
The DEA’s Detroit Field Division and IRS Criminal Investigation’s Detroit office investigated the case, working closely with the DEA’s Austin and Lexington Residence Offices and with assistance from the agency’s Special Operations Division and DEA offices in Mexico, Houston, Tulsa, Chicago and Youngstown, Ohio, according to the Justice Department.
Deputy Chief Elizabeth R. Rabe of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Deputy Chief Gary Todd Bradbury of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, the department said.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset-recovery actions involving financial facilitators, financial institutions and their personnel, international money launderers and leaders of international drug-trafficking organizations. Its Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money-laundering schemes and litigates complex civil-forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims, according to the Justice Department.
The prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, established by Executive Order 14159. The Justice Department describes the task force as a whole-of-government effort to combat criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. The initiative places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting child trafficking and other crimes involving children. It also uses available enforcement tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States, according to the department.
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.