DEA, FBI Seize $10 Million Crypto, Drugs Tied to Sinaloa Cartel Nationwide

In a major crackdown on the Sinaloa drug cartel, the DEA and FBI seized over $10 million in cryptocurrency linked to the cartel in Miami as part of a broader nationwide operation targeting drug trafficking and money laundering. Since January, authorities have also confiscated approximately 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, and over 201,500 pounds of cocaine, while making more than 2,100 fentanyl-related arrests. The operation revealed sophisticated laundering schemes using digital currencies, complicating efforts to trace illicit funds, and came amid recent sanctions by the Treasury Department against cartel-associated individuals and businesses. The cartel has also used hackers to compromise cellphone data and surveillance systems to track and kill FBI informants. DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy emphasized that the agency is relentlessly dismantling the cartel’s operations piece by piece, aiming to end their drug empire. These actions mark a significant shift in law enforcement tactics, focusing on disrupting financial channels alongside traditional drug interdiction efforts.