Joel Acedo-Ojeda, a 32-year-old man from Culiacan, Mexico, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for his role in laundering $20 million in drug trafficking proceeds. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez in San Diego, includes a $20,000 fine and a forfeiture order of the full $20 million tied to the illicit cash pipeline.
Acedo-Ojeda pleaded guilty on June 23, 2015, to conspiracy to commit international money laundering, admitting to coordinating the smuggling of bulk U.S. currency from the United States into Mexico between April 2013 and April 2015. The cash, he acknowledged, was derived from narcotics trafficking and was funneled back into the hands of drug suppliers—either directly or through the U.S. financial system—before being repatriated to Mexico.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Casper, who prosecuted the case, told the court Acedo-Ojeda operated as a key financial cog for the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and prolific drug trafficking organizations in the world. The cartel floods the U.S. with hundreds of tons of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana annually, using complex laundering networks to shield its profits.
The investigation peeled back layers of cross-border criminal finance, resulting in the seizure of more than $5 million in U.S. currency and hundreds of pounds each of cocaine and methamphetamine. Federal agents traced bulk cash movements and underground banking methods used to disguise the origin of the funds.
“Those who launder drug monies to further the flow of narcotics that have a devastating impact on our communities and citizens should pay a stiff price,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “We will continue to aggressively pursue those individuals, wherever they may be located, who attempt to employ any means, financial or otherwise, in aid of efforts to move narcotics through our Southwestern border.”
Michael Carney, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego, emphasized the agency’s mission: “HSI is committed to stopping the flow of illicit drug proceeds across our borders that fill the coffers of the world’s most violent drug trafficking organizations. Today’s sentencing highlights the commitment of HSI and our agents to bring these international money launderers to justice.” The case was investigated by HSI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Casper and Senior Trial Counsel Mark Irish of the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.
Related Federal Cases
- Jose Roberto Lopez-Albarran Charged in $Million Drug Cash Scheme · Washington
- Roosevelt ‘TuTu’ Sumpter Gets 20 Years for Crips Drug Ring · California
- Richard Byrd Gets 26 Years for Baltimore Drug Empire · Texas
- Leopoldo Aguilera Charged in $7.4M Fentanyl Cash Laundering Scheme · Arizona
- Jose Daniel Espinoza: Renton Drug Kingpin Gets 10 Years · Washington
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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