Carlos Érick Vázquez González, a Mexican national, has pleaded guilty to money laundering charges stemming from drug trafficking proceeds funneled through cryptocurrency. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the guilty plea on Friday, following Vázquez González's extradition from Mexico in October.
According to DOJ documents, Vázquez González served as a key intermediary for money brokers who deposited approximately $4 million in drug trafficking proceeds into a cryptocurrency wallet under his control. He then exchanged the cryptocurrency for U.S. dollars in Mexico and returned the funds to the same brokers on the U.S. side of the border. Vázquez González received a $40,000 commission for his role in the scheme.
Reports link Vázquez González to the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), though the DOJ did not name the organization in its announcement. Vázquez González faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December 17.
The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under an executive order focused on eliminating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations. This case reflects broader U.S. enforcement efforts targeting the intersection of cryptocurrency and cartel financing. In May, the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 12 individuals and two companies performing similar money-laundering functions for the Sinaloa Cartel, and in July, the DEA seized $10 million in cryptocurrency linked to Sinaloa Cartel drug trafficking operations.
