Daniel Laurel Sentenced in ‘Tres Equis’ Money Laundering Case

LAREDO, Texas — Daniel Laurel, 34, of Laredo, is headed to federal prison for 151 months after being convicted of laundering drug money for the Romero Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), marking the 23rd takedown in the sprawling Operation ‘Tres Equis.’

A federal jury found Laurel guilty on June 15, 2018, of money laundering conspiracy and concealment after he operated a bank funnel account and recruited other Laredo residents to do the same. His accounts were used to move millions in drug proceeds from hotspots like Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York, and Georgia — with cash withdrawn in Laredo and then smuggled into Mexico to supply cartel leaders.

On May 17, 2019, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana imposed the sentence and slapped Laurel with a $285,500 money judgment, forfeiting funds tied directly to the laundering operation. Prosecutors proved Laurel wasn’t just a middleman — he was a key node in a network designed to disguise the flow of narcotics profits across state and international lines.

Operation Tres Equis, a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) probe, exposed a transnational machine dealing cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. The DTO relied on the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, and a web of bank accounts to distribute drugs and recycle cash. Laredo served as a critical border hub, where U.S.-earned drug money was funneled and shipped south.

Among the 22 others already sentenced: Antonio Romero Jr., 32, of Orlando, Florida, a DTO leader who received 292 months. Others got prison terms ranging from 12 to 210 months; two received probation. Nearly all faced financial penalties — money judgments or forfeitures — from $1,000 to $1.08 million. Non-U.S. citizens now face deportation and loss of legal status.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, Laredo Police, Webb and Zapata County Sheriff’s Offices, Webb County District Attorney, Border Patrol, and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graciela R. Lindberg prosecuted the case.

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