A 40-year-old man identified as Victor Miguel Curiel Valadez, with ties to the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has pled guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Alamdar H. Hamdani. It came to light that Valadez has been an integral part in a scheme to wash over $1.5 million in drug proceeds between the years of 2016 and 2019. In a case that underscores the extensive reach of Mexico's criminal syndicates, recruitment activity was spread across cities such as Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit, and Kansas City, among others, as per U.S. Attorney's Office.
Valadez's role notably involved the coordination of picking up and subsequently laundering drug money not just within the United States but also from Canada, Europe, and Australia, funneling these illicit gains back to Mexican territory. Efforts to conceal the origins of this money have seen Valadez and his associates to quickly move the proceeds through various financial institutions. In further detailed activities by Valadez, he admitted in February 2018 to negotiate and then distribute three kilograms of methamphetamine, directing a co-conspirator to carry out the delivery in Houston.
"The CJNG is one of the most powerful and dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico, characterized by a business model of extreme violence and trafficking in the most deadly of substances - cocaine, heroin, meth and fentanyl - relying on money launderers and drug distributors, like Valadez, to wash its ill-gotten gains and infect local communities with drugs," stated Hamdani. Valadez now potentially faces life imprisonment and a steep fine, with sentencing set for November 20, according to the same press release.
The investigation leading to Valadez's guilty plea was a collaborative effort under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, involving Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation. These task forces are specialized units designed to disrupt and dismantle high-level drug trafficking and money laundering operations. The Houston Strike Force, in particular, focuses on targeting organizations that heavily affect the region.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz and Casey N. MacDonald are charged with the prosecution in this case.
