Salt Lake City sisters Rosa Rodriguez, 41, and Yadira Rodriguez, 35, are facing federal charges in a $1 million money laundering conspiracy tied to Mexican drug trafficking organizations. A federal grand jury returned the indictment last week, alleging the siblings used their two Utah-based money services businesses to funnel illicit drug proceeds across the border while actively concealing the origins and ownership of the cash.
The businesses, Happy Travel in West Valley City and Happy Travel 2 in Salt Lake City, were allegedly weaponized to move drug money under false pretenses. Rosa Rodriguez operated the West Valley location, while Yadira ran the Salt Lake City outlet. Federal authorities claim the pair exploited gaps in financial reporting rules by structuring transfers under reporting thresholds and falsifying sender information to shield the true identities of cartel operatives.
According to the indictment, owners of money services businesses must comply with strict anti-money laundering regulations, including maintaining accurate records and filing reports for large transactions. The Rodriguez sisters are accused of willfully violating these requirements by splitting transfers and using fictitious names, ensuring no paper trail could lead back to the drug organizations funding the operation.
Investigators estimate the women laundered approximately $1 million through these illicit methods. The scheme relied on deliberate structuring—breaking down large sums into smaller transfers—to sidestep federal reporting rules that trigger scrutiny for transactions over $10,000. Authorities say this wasn’t a case of negligence—it was a calculated effort to profit from the drug trade.
Rosa Rodriguez was arrested and remains in custody ahead of a detention hearing scheduled for December 22, 2016, at 2:15 p.m. in Magistrate Judge Evelyn J. Furse’s courtroom. Yadira Rodriguez has been released on conditions. Both face conspiracy to commit money laundering, a felony carrying severe penalties under federal law.
The investigation was led by the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Federal prosecutors are pursuing the case as part of a broader crackdown on financial networks that sustain international drug cartels operating across the Southwest border and into the interior of the United States.
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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