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Category: Crime
February 9, 2026
Crime
News

Minnesota Woman Locked Up for $325K SNAP Fraud.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Minnesota woman was sentenced to just one year in prison for defrauding the federal government of more than $325,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Latasha Thomas, two of her relatives, federal prosecutors, and federal taxpayers.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The fraudulent actions took place over two years in Minnesota, with sentencing announced last week.

🎯IMPACT: Thomas was ordered to repay $325,159 in restitution to the United States Department of Agriculture.

IN FULL

Latasha Thomas, a 39-year-old Minnesota resident, has been sentenced to one year in federal prison after being convicted of mail fraud for orchestrating a scheme to steal benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Federal prosecutors said Thomas worked for more than two years with her daughter, Ambrosia Thomas, and another relative, Cynthia Thomas, to unlawfully obtain Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards funded through SNAP. Investigators said the group used fake Minnesota temporary driver’s licenses containing false names and photographs of the Thomases to apply for benefits through Hennepin County.

Prosecutors said the defendants also submitted fabricated medical documentation, falsely claiming they were women experiencing “high-risk pregnancies” in order to increase the amount of SNAP benefits loaded onto the cards each month. The EBT cards were mailed to an apartment in Roseville linked to Cynthia Thomas, who allegedly lived there under the alias Sofia Gold. Law enforcement later found mail addressed to multiple fictitious identities and notes instructing postal carriers to deliver items for those names to the same apartment.

Authorities said the fraudulently obtained SNAP funds were withdrawn from ATMs, used for purchases, or trafficked to others. Customers were allegedly charged between 50 and 60 percent of a card’s monthly balance in exchange for temporary access to the EBT cards, which were returned after an agreed portion of the benefits had been spent.

As part of her sentence, Latasha Thomas was ordered to pay $325,159 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP at the federal level. Cynthia Thomas was convicted last year and sentenced to three years of probation. Ambrosia Thomas has agreed to plead guilty to mail fraud and is awaiting sentencing.

SNAP is a federally funded program designed to help low-income individuals and families afford food, with benefits issued monthly through EBT cards that can be used at authorized retailers. The program has faced increased scrutiny in recent years following multiple large-scale fraud investigations and federal findings that benefits were improperly issued in hundreds of thousands of cases, including to dead people. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has sought expanded access to state data to detect ineligible recipients, with Democrat state officials resisting.

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February 9, 2026
Crime
News

The Cartels Are Blending Fentanyl With Chinese Animal Tranquilizer to Boost Addiction.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Medetomidine, a potent animal sedative known as “rhino tranq,” is increasingly being used as an adulterant in fentanyl distributed on American streets.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Drug cartels and public health officials monitoring illicit drug trends.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Public health alerts indicate medetomidine’s presence in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago as of February 2026.

🎯IMPACT: The rise of medetomidine in street drugs poses significant public health risks and complicates efforts to combat the opioid crisis.

IN FULL

Drug traffickers are increasingly adding medetomidine, a powerful animal tranquilizer, to illicit fentanyl supplies in the United States, according to public health officials and law enforcement agencies. The drug, which is approved only for veterinary use, has been detected in seized samples in cities including New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, raising new concerns about the growing unpredictability of the illicit opioid market.

Medetomidine belongs to the same class of sedatives as xylazine, a veterinary drug already widespread in the fentanyl supply. Toxicologists warn medetomidine is significantly more potent, capable of causing extreme sedation, dangerously slowed heart rates, and prolonged unconsciousness. Its presence also complicates overdose response, as naloxone can reverse fentanyl’s opioid effects but does not counteract non-opioid sedatives, leaving some overdose victims unresponsive even after treatment.

U.S. officials say the substance is legally manufactured overseas for animal use, then diverted into illicit supply chains. As with fentanyl, precursor chemicals and finished drugs are believed to move through Mexico-based cartels before being trafficked into the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reported changes in the composition of seized fentanyl, with medetomidine appearing alongside or replacing other adulterants.

The trend comes as federal authorities seek to combat broader cartel activity affecting the U.S. According to recent reporting, Mexican drug cartels have expanded operations beyond trafficking, including recruiting teenagers inside the United States to carry out targeted killings on their behalf. Prosecutors have said such cases demonstrate how cartels exploit legal and social vulnerabilities to advance their operations.

However, provisional data cited in recent reports show U.S. overdose deaths declining by roughly one-fifth compared with previous years, amid intensified pressure on cartel networks and drug trafficking routes routes by the Trump administration. Notably, President Donald J. Trump has confirmed plans for land-based military strikes targeting cartel infrastructure, following a wave of strikes on cartel boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, believed to have eliminated dozens of narco-terrorists.

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February 9, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Illegal Vegas ‘Biolab’ Linked to Chinese and Israeli Nationals Leaves Several People ‘Deathly Ill.’

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Authorities have sent over 1,000 pieces of evidence and unknown substances for testing after a suspected illegal biolab was discovered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Local law enforcement, including the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and two foreign nationals, including the Chinese property owner and the French-Israeli property manager.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: February, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

🎯IMPACT: Several people fell “deathly ill” after staying at the property where the alleged biolab—which also served as an Airbnb—was located. Its Chinese owner is linked to another alleged biolab in California, which contained materials including suspected strains of COVID-19, hepatitis, and HIV.

IN FULL

Authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada, are investigating a suspected illegal biological laboratory discovered in a residential home in the Sunrise Manor area that also operated as an Airbnb. Court documents obtained by KLAS indicate that several people who spent time inside the property became “deathly ill.”

The investigation gained momentum following a tip to authorities, including reports from a former house cleaner who entered the locked garage and noted a foul, hospital-like smell—described as stale and stagnant rather than clean. Several days later, two people reportedly became gravely ill after exposure to the area.

On January 31, 2026, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed search warrants at the home on Sugar Springs Drive, along with another property. The multi-day operation, concluding early on February 2, uncovered what police described as a “possible biological laboratory.” Items recovered included refrigerators and freezers containing vials with unknown liquids—some reddish or red-brown—along with bio-safety equipment, centrifuges, and other materials stored in a locked garage.

More than 1,000 pieces of evidence and unidentified substances were collected and submitted for testing at FBI laboratories to determine their nature and any potential hazards. LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill noted during a press conference that the items appear “consistent in appearance” with those recovered from a similar alleged biolab case in Reedley, California, in 2023, where materials were linked to possible infectious diseases such as hepatitis, COVID-19, and HIV. Notably, the California and Nevada properties are owned by the same person.

The probe has resulted in charges against two foreign nationals. The first suspect is property owner David He, a Chinese national possibly tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who is already in federal custody related to the California case, and has pleaded not guilty to associated charges. The second suspect is Ori Solomon, the property manager for the Sugar Springs Drive property and another property on Temple View Drive. Solomon, who holds French and Israeli passports and is in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa, was initially booked into the Clark County Detention Center on state charges of disposing of and discharging hazardous waste. He also faces federal accusations of illegally possessing firearms.

A federal judge later ordered Solomon’s release on personal recognizance bond, with conditions including surrendering his passports and restrictions on travel.

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February 6, 2026
Crime
News

Young Woman Set on Fire by Career Criminal in Chicago Finally Leaves Hospital.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A woman who was set on fire on a Chicago subway train has been released from the hospital three months after the attack.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Victim Bethany MaGee, 26, and suspect Lawrence Reed, 50.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred in November 2025 on Chicago’s Blue Line subway; MaGee was hospitalized at Stroger Hospital.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “My family and I are grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who has offered support, kindness, and encouragement during this time.” – Bethany MaGee

🎯IMPACT: The attack has raised concerns about judicial leniency after the suspect, who has a lengthy criminal record, was released despite warnings from prosecutors.

IN FULL

Bethany MaGee, 26, has been released from Stroger Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, nearly three months after she was set on fire during a brutal, random attack on a CTA Blue Line subway train. MaGee suffered burns to roughly 60 percent of her body in the November 2025 attack, which prosecutors allege was carried out by Lawrence Reed, 50.

In a statement marking her discharge, MaGee expressed appreciation for those who supported her during her recovery. “My family and I are grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who has offered support, kindness, and encouragement during this time,” she said. She also praised the medical staff, thanking the Stroger Hospital burn team for their “exceptional care, compassion, and expertise.”

Prosecutors say Reed poured gasoline on MaGee inside the subway car and ignited it while yelling, “Burn alive, b***h!” Surveillance video reportedly captured the attack. MaGee was able to escape the train at the Clark and Lake station, where bystanders rushed to help extinguish the flames and provide aid until emergency responders arrived.

Reed had a lengthy criminal history, with authorities saying he had been arrested more than 70 times prior to the attack. Prosecutors had previously warned that he posed a serious threat and that his next offense would “likely be violent.” Despite those warnings, he was released from custody by liberal Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez following an earlier arrest in August 2025, who said dismissively, “I understand your position, but I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to.”

The attack has intensified scrutiny of judicial decisions in Chicago, particularly regarding repeat offenders. Federal officials have warned city leaders that Chicago could risk losing federal transit funding if stronger safety measures are not implemented on public transportation following a series of violent incidents.

The case has also drawn comparisons to other high-profile transit crimes, including the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier in 2025, allegedly by a black male who shouted “I got that white girl” following the attack.

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February 6, 2026
Crime
News

Why is the DOJ Downgrading Felony Charges Against Anti-ICE Rioters?

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has quietly downgraded the charges against almost half of the 16 anti-ICE agitators arrested for interfering with federal immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota from felonies to low-level misdemeanors.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, federal agents, and 16 defendants, including Gillian Etherington and Emily Baierl.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The 16 anti-ICE protestors were arrested last week, with their prosecutions now entering preliminary stages.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law.” – Attorney General Pam Bondi

🎯IMPACT: Many cases were downgraded to misdemeanors, despite Bondi’s public assertions that the DOJ would pursue maximum penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 111.

IN FULL

Federal prosecutors in Minnesota have quietly downgraded felony charges against at least half of the 16 anti-ICE agitators arrested last week for allegedly assaulting or interfering with federal agents during immigration enforcement operations. While Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged to charge violent protestors under 18 U.S.C. § 111, which establishes a felony crime for anyone who “forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates or interferes” with government officials carrying out their duties, prosecutors have reduced many of the cases to lower-level misdemeanors.

Notably, Bondi herself traveled to Minnesota last week for the filing of the felony charges against the 16 anti-ICE protestors, posting at the time on X (formerly Twitter), “I am on the ground in Minneapolis today. Federal agents have arrested 16 Minnesota rioters for allegedly assaulting federal law enforcement — people who have been resisting and impeding our federal law enforcement agents.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: NOTHING will stop President Trump and this Department of Justice from enforcing the law,” she added.

While the DOJ has struggled in some more liberal jurisdictions to secure grand jury indictments carrying significant penalties against violent leftist agitators, the direct decision by federal prosecutors to downgrade charges appears to be a more recent development.

One of the Minnesota cases, against Gillian Etherington, was reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor this past Tuesday without explanation. Last week, the DOJ alleged that Etherington “rammed her car into a United States Border Patrol vehicle and drove away,” with Border Patrol engaging in a pursuit before she proceeded to “drive into oncoming traffic” and strike “an unmarked law enforcement vehicle near a high school,” and even then continued to resist arrest.

In another instance, the DOJ dropped felony charges against Emily Baierl to misdemeanors despite Baierl having bitten the finger of a federal law enforcement agent during a demonstration after the death of Alex Pretti. While Baierl’s case is separate from the 16 filed last week, the downgrading of charges despite the clear instance of physical assault is puzzling.

However, one reason for the DOJ’s decision may be a contention raised by attorneys for a number of the defendants that Bondi’s aggressive public media campaign surrounding the arrests—including the release of photos and videos of defendants before trial—could violate internal department policies and risk prejudicing cases.

Image by Chad Davis.

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February 6, 2026
Crime
News

Violent Trans Antifa Radical Jailed for Hammer Attacks on Right-Wingers.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A transgender Antifa radical was sentenced to eight years in prison in Hungary for a series of violent far-left attacks in Budapest.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The German activist, known as “Maja T.,” and other members of the “Hammer Gang” Antifa cell.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The attacks occurred in Budapest in February 2023; sentencing was this week at the Budapest Municipal Court.

🎯IMPACT: The case has sparked political backlash in Europe, with some accusing Hungary of political persecution while others highlight the violent nature of the crimes.

IN FULL

A Hungarian court has handed an eight-year prison sentence to “Maja T.,” a German national linked to a series of far-left assaults carried out in Budapest in February 2023. The attacks were attributed to a radical Antifa cell known as the “Hammer Gang,” which allegedly targeted people it accused of being “neo-Nazis.”

Prosecutors said the group ambushed victims in the street, striking them on the head with clubs and continuing to beat them after they fell. Several victims reportedly suffered skull fractures and other life-threatening injuries. Authorities said those attacked were selected based on suspicion of right-wing views, regardless of whether they were actually involved in any extremist activity.

The convict, who claims to be “non-binary,” was found guilty of life-threatening assault and membership in a criminal organization by the Budapest Municipal Court. The ruling is provisional and may be appealed.

Maja claimed the case was politically driven and aimed at satisfying Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose government has classified Antifa as a terrorist organization. “Of course, I see the Hungarian government’s efforts to influence the independence of the court,” Maja complained following the verdict.

Another alleged member of the Hammer Gang, Italian activist Ilaria Salis, was previously held under house arrest in Hungary, but later secured release after being elected to the European Parliament, gaining parliamentary immunity.

Antifa has been linked by authorities in multiple countries to acts of political violence. In recent years, governments and law enforcement agencies have cited Antifa-associated groups in connection with assaults, arson attacks, and major infrastructure sabotage.

Last year, President Trump declared several European Antifa groups as foreign terrorist organisations.

Image by Oompje.

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February 6, 2026
Crime

Man Charged Over Alleged Assassination Plot Against Trump’s OMB Director Russ Vought.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Maryland man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with an alleged plot targeting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Colin Demarco, a 26-year-old Maryland resident, and Russell Vought, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred in August 2025 at Vought’s residence in Northern Virginia. Demarco was arrested last month and is being held in Arlington County.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: Demarco admitted he wanted to confront Vought about Project 2025, expressing fears of a “fascist takeover,” and stating that President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 election victory was the “lowest point in his life.”

🎯IMPACT: The arrest and subsequent charges are the latest notable instance of political violence tied to Democrat claims that President Trump and Republicans are “fascists.”

IN FULL

A Maryland man was formally charged on Thursday with attempted murder for allegedly plotting to assassinate Russell Vought, the director of the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Project 2025 architect. “Colin Demarco, 26, of Rockville, MD is charged with Attempted Murder, Criminal Solicitation to Commit Murder, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Wearing a Mask in Public to Conceal Identity,” the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) announced, adding, “He was taken into custody at his residence on January 16 and later extradited to the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

In August last year, Demarco allegedly appeared outside Vought’s Northern Virginia home and was observed by a neighbor exhibiting suspicious behavior. According to the ACPD, “A witness reported observing a male suspect, who was wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves, carrying a backpack and appeared to be concealing a firearm under his shirt, on the victim’s porch. The suspect subsequently approached the witness and inquired about the victim before leaving the scene.”

The ACPD states that officers were dispatched to the residence, but a canvass of the area did not turn up a suspect. However, a home surveillance camera captured an image of Demarco, leading to his eventual identification by law enforcement. Consequently, police executed search warrants for digital records associated with the suspect, including “digital evidence that the suspect had obtained directions to the victim’s residence, had information detailing locations of firearms possessed by a relative, and had a guide detailing tips to prevent criminal detection.”

Notably, court documents state that in the days prior to Demarco traveling to Vought’s home, the 26-year-old made numerous posts online attempting to solicit others to carry out the murder of the OMB director. Demacro eventually decided to carry out the assassination himself, the charging documents allege.

After his arrest, Demarco admitted to being in Arlington last August, but claimed he was job hunting and denied carrying a weapon or intending to harm Vought. He did, however, admit he wanted to confront Vought about Project 2025, expressing fears of a “fascist takeover,” and stating that President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 election victory was the “lowest point in his life.”

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February 5, 2026
Crime

Over 600 Arrested in California Human Trafficking Sting.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A tip about a suburban home in California led to a statewide human trafficking takedown, rescuing nearly 20 children and resulting in over 600 arrests.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Multiple law enforcement agencies, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton, and Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: California, including Los Angeles County, during a week-long operation titled “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild.”

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “How embarrassing that I could actually say that we have corridors of human sex trafficking throughout Los Angeles County.” – Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman

🎯IMPACT: The takedown exposed a vast trafficking network, rescued victims from multiple states, and highlighted Los Angeles County’s role as a trafficking hub.

IN FULL

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), in conjunction with a number of other law enforcement agencies operating on a single tip, have busted a major human trafficking operation, resulting in more than 600 arrests and the rescue of around 20 children across California. In Los Angeles County alone, the law enforcement action—dubbed “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild”—saw the recovery of 12 adults and five children.

According to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, the investigation originated with a citizen tip regarding a home in the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut. A subsequent surveillance operation connected the home to several other nearby residences being used in a human trafficking ring.

“We have traffickers that are putting barely teenage girls on the streets of Los Angeles to be victimized, repeatedly, over and over again,” LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said following the bust, adding, “These children did not come from one place. They came from Chicago, from Oklahoma, from Missouri, tribal lands… and from communities right here in the state of California.”

The operation resulted in a total of 611 arrests, including both suspected human traffickers and clients—often called “Johns.” Authorities, however, have not yet disclosed how many of those arrested will face felony human trafficking charges as opposed to lesser solicitation offenses.

“How embarrassing that I could actually say that we have corridors of human sex trafficking throughout Los Angeles County,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, describing the criminal operation as having engaged in “modern slavery,” and lamenting Los Angeles’s continued prevalence as a hotspot for human traffickers.

Image by Jpesch95.

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February 5, 2026
Crime
Immigration

Trucker Who Killed Four is CBP One Biden Migrant.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A semi-truck driver who caused a head-on collision in Indiana, resulting in four fatalities, is a migrant allowed into America by former President Joe Biden.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Bekzhan Beishekeev, a 30-year-old Kyrgyzstani national, is in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody following the crash.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on Tuesday in Jay County, Indiana.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE:

🎯IMPACT: The crash has raised further concerns about immigration policies, and unqualified migrants operating trucks on America’s roads, in particular, which the Trump administration has been trying to tackle.

IN FULL

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed that a semi-truck driver, identified as Bekzhan Beishekeev, was arrested after causing a head-on crash in Indiana that resulted in the deaths of four people. Beishekeev is a Kyrgyzstani national who entered the United States thanks to the Biden government’s CBP One app on December 19, 2023, at the Nogales, Arizona, port of entry. Biden’s government paroled Beishekeev into the U.S.

The crash occurred on SR 67 in Jay County, Indiana. According to police, Beishekeev did not stop for a slowed semi-truck and instead swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with a van. The victims included several people from the Amish community, per local media.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records indicate that Beishekeev is now in ICE custody. This suggests that local law enforcement honored a detainer and has already transferred him to federal authorities.

The CBP One app, introduced under Biden, permitted 50,000 to 60,000 otherwise inadmissible aliens to enter the U.S. legally every month under two-year humanitarian parole grants. President Donald J. Trump terminated the program on his first day in office and repurposed CBP One as a self-deportation app.

Unqualified illegal immigrant truck drivers, often awarded licenses by Democrat-led states like California, are a significant issue on America’s roads, causing multiple fatalities in multiple high-profile crashes. The Trump administration has been moving to address the issue, disqualifying thousands of foreign drivers and shutting down thousands of driving schools.

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February 5, 2026
Crime
World

Trump DOJ Targets Cartel Crypto Laundering Networks.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is targeting financial networks of Mexico’s violent drug cartels, focusing on money brokers who launder drug profits through cryptocurrency.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. prosecutors, Mexican authorities, and defendants, including Eduardo Rigoberto Velasco Calderon, Eliomar Segura Torres, Manuel Ignacio Correa, and Cesar Linares-Orozco.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The transfer of high-level cartel operatives from Mexico to the U.S. began in January 2024 and remains ongoing, with 37 new defendants handed over to the DOJ last month.

💬KEY QUOTE: “If you cut off the money, you hurt the cartels, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” — U.S. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva

🎯IMPACT: The focus on financial networks aims to disrupt cartel operations, leading to potential indictments of higher-level leaders.

IN FULL

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is opening a new front in the Trump administration’s efforts to destroy Mexico’s drug cartels with an initiative focused on dismantling the financial networks utilized by money brokers who use cryptocurrencies to launder illicit profits. These brokers, according to the DOJ, use cryptocurrencies to move the profits from drug sales in the United States back to Mexico and to cartel leaders.

“If you cut off the money, you hurt the cartels, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said, explaining the DOJ’s new strategy. Federal prosecutors believe that shutting down the cryptocurrency money brokers in the U.S. will cut off a critical point in the cartels’ financial system, potentially crippling their operations.

Mexico has already handed over around 90 high-level cartel operatives to the U.S. as part of the DOJ effort. The defendants, of whom 37 were transferred to the DOJ this past January alone, are each believed to have direct knowledge of cartel distribution networks and money laundering methods. Critically, the four most recent cases filed by the DOJ include alleged money brokers, Eduardo Rigoberto Velasco Calderon, Eliomar Segura Torres, Manuel Ignacio Correa, and Cesar Linares-Orozco.

The DOJ says it will use the prosecutions as leverage to obtain intelligence and detailed knowledge of how the cartels are evolving and utilizing alternative financial networks to avoid law enforcement detection. Assistant Attorney General Duva says federal prosecutors “want to hear on the distribution side how it works, who is involved, and seek additional indictments, and on the money laundering side, exactly the methods that they are using to get the money out of the United States through the U.S. banks.”

“He added, There’s bulk cash smuggling that has been going on since the beginning of time, and then also sort of the newer trend of taking the cash, buying cryptocurrency, and then trading that cryptocurrency.”

Image by G. Edward Johnson.

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