FBI and DEA bust $10 million crypto stash tied to Mexico’s most feared cartel in nationwide drug raids
Authorities target cartel finances with coordinated seizures, disrupting operations and exposing the digital trail of drug money flowing across borders.
Key Takeaways
- US law enforcement agencies seized over $10 million in crypto assets linked to the Sinaloa cartel.
- The operation also resulted in major narcotics busts, including millions of fentanyl pills and thousands of pounds of methamphetamine.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have confiscated over $10 million in crypto connected to the Sinaloa Cartel, the drug trafficking empire, according to a new report from CBS News.
The move is part of a sweeping anti-narcotics operation that has also uncovered massive quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illicit drugs, officials said.
The crypto haul, traced directly to the cartel, was recovered from a hot wallet in Miami. It was one piece of a broader crackdown which has, since January, resulted in the seizure of 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, and nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, according to the Justice Department.
The announcement comes just days after Ovidio Guzmán López, son of jailed drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in a Chicago federal court.
As part of a plea deal with US prosecutors, he is expected to receive a reduced sentence. His father, convicted in 2019, is serving life in a US federal prison.
The crypto seizure was one of several major busts in recent weeks. In Galveston, Texas, agents found 1,700 pounds of meth worth $15 million hidden in a vehicle. Other raids uncovered hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine smuggled in produce shipments, including cucumbers in Georgia and blueberries in Texas.
The Sinaloa cartel’s operations extend beyond drugs and into digital territory. Just last month, US authorities disclosed that the group had hired hackers to compromise cellphone data and access Mexico City’s surveillance systems to identify and eliminate FBI informants.
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