Two federal indictments unsealed in San Diego reveal charges against five individuals accused of laundering money for the Sinaloa Cartel. The defendants—Alberto David Benguiat Jimenez, Israel Daniel Paez Vargas, Salvador Diaz Rodriguez, Christopher Ortega-Lomeli, and Christian Noe Amador Valenzuela—face multiple charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering.
The indictments, originally issued in September and October 2022, contribute to an ongoing investigation that has so far involved 51 defendants and resulted in the seizure of drugs and over $4.1 million. All five defendants charged in these latest actions remain at large, according to the authorities.
Notably, four of the defendants have also been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), along with Enrique Dann Esparragoza Rosas, who previously faced charges. The OFAC has classified them as part of a money laundering network aiding the Sinaloa Cartel, a recognized foreign terrorist organization, notorious for trafficking large quantities of illicit drugs into the United States.
Several agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, are involved in these investigations. "OFAC has identified the defendants and others as members of a money laundering network supporting the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most notorious and violent drug trafficking organizations in the world," stated the Department of Treasury.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. Sutton, Joshua Mellor, Victor White, and Paul Benjamin, with significant contributions from the former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth.
The defendants face various charges with significant penalties. "Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances" and "Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances" both carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine. The charge of "Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments" has a potential penalty of 20 years in prison and fines reaching $500,000 or double the amount involved.
The initiative is part of Operation Take Back America, which seeks to combat illegal immigration and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. This case also aligns with the objectives of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, which uses a multi-agency approach to target high-level criminal organizations. The collaboration includes the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, which facilitates coordination among law enforcement agencies across critical drug-trafficking regions in the U.S.
