A sophisticated money laundering organizations with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Imperial Valley has been taken down.

The organization also attempted to extort money from two individuals accused of stealing from the organization.  A two-year investigation by FBI and DEA has resulted in the indictment of twelve people, including three with ties to the Imperial Valley. The organization allegedly laundered at least $16.5 million for the Sinaloa Cartel. According to information, the investigation began in the fall of 2020 after the complex money laundering operation was identified. The organization used a series of shell companies incorporated in Wyoming to launder cash for the cartel. Cash was collected in Chicago, Omaha, Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia and other cities and then delivered to the employees of the organization. It was then laundered through the sham companies and moved to Mexico. 

In the extortion plot, two of the individuals indicted are accused of threatening two people who owed a drug debt to the organization. The two victims were driven around Imperial and San Diego Counties to collect money from bank accounts they controlled. The FBI learned of the ongoing extortion after being alerted by an informant. Federal agents began tracking the movements of the suspects. The victims were driven from El Centro to National City where one of the suspects was arrested after a traffic stop and the two victims were rescued. 

The government operation led to the seizure of $1 million from accounts controlled by the organization plus nearly $200,000 in bulk cash.

Among the 12 indicted are Christian Anaya Nava, 37, of Calexico, Ricardo Torres, 30, of El Centro, Kimberly Reyes, 24, of Mexicali, and Hector Francisco Vizcaino Moreno, 33, of Calexico.