Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
The Department of Justice announced on Mar. 16 the unsealing of a civil case seeking to forfeit more than $14.9 million seized from an international drug money laundering scheme, according to United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
The case is significant because it targets the financial infrastructure that supports drug trafficking organizations, aiming to disrupt their operations by seizing illicit proceeds.
According to the lawsuit, which was originally filed in 2024, authorities seized the funds after uncovering a complex trade-based money laundering operation. This method involves depositing cash from drug sales into U.S. bank accounts—often through real or shell companies—and then transferring those assets abroad by delivering goods or services that can be sold for local currency in countries such as Colombia. The investigation revealed that some of the funds were linked to companies involved in international commerce, including an accountant for a Latin American musician who claimed the deposits were related to concerts in Colombia, as well as various import-export businesses. The investigation remains ongoing.
Gorgon was joined in making the announcement by Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration-Detroit.
“Drug trafficking and money laundering go hand-in-hand,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “Cartels need money to poison our American communities. We will eliminate these threats and protect our country.”
“The cartel and it criminal networks are fueled by profit. Seizing their drug proceeds strikes at the core of their poisonous operations, the DEA and our partners will be relentless in pursuing these bad actors and will hold them accountable for the violence, destruction, and misery they cause. No distance will shield them,” said Special Agent in Charge Dixon.
The lawsuit is part of Operation Take Back America, described as a nationwide initiative using all resources available to repel illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime as well as human and drug trafficking.
