LAREDO, Texas – A two-year multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy has led to the imprisonment of Mauricio Anzures-Zarate, 53, from Mexico City, and Beatriz Salcedo-Carreon, 63, from Guadalajara. The duo was sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme that funneled drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
Anzures-Zarate and Salcedo-Carreon pleaded guilty in separate trials in April 2024 and January 2025. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison imposed a 55-month-term of imprisonment for each, with the expectation that they will face removal proceedings after their sentences are served.
The money launderers were ordered to pay substantial judgments: Anzures-Zarate $1,176,165 and Salcedo-Carreon $887,269. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti emphasized the significance of dismantling such schemes, stating that they not only enrich cartels but also endanger lives across borders.
Acting Special Agent in Charge William Kimbell of the DEA Houston Division highlighted the impact of their investigation, noting that the operation dealt a significant blow to the finances of Mexican cartels. Anzures-Zarate and Salcedo-Carreon thought they could evade justice, but IRS Criminal Investigation’s (CI) Houston Field Office revealed their involvement in black market peso exchanges.
Under the scheme, drug proceeds were collected in various U.S. cities and transferred to Laredo for laundering. Local store owners accepted these funds for merchandise exported to Mexico. The Mexican businesses were then instructed to transfer the pesos to accounts or individuals affiliated with cartels, effectively disguising illegal proceeds as legitimate transactions.
Eight others have already been convicted in the conspiracy. DEA and IRS-CI conducted the investigation, which included international collaboration from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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