LOS ANGELES – About 1,000 law enforcement officials on Wednesday fanned out across the Fashion District in downtown Los Angeles to execute dozens of search and arrest warrants linked to businesses suspected of using “Black Market Peso Exchange” schemes to launder narcotics proceeds for international drug cartels, officials said.
Authorities arrested nine defendants and seized what is estimated to be at least $65 million in cash from bank accounts around the world.
One case unsealed Wednesday alleges that the Sinaloa Drug Cartel used a Fashion District business to accept and launder ransom payments to secure the release of a U.S. citizen who was kidnapped by that narcotics organization, held hostage, and tortured at a ranch in Mexico.
Two other indictments also unsealed today involve alleged money laundering by other Fashion District stores using the Black Market Peso Exchange scheme.
In a BMPE scheme, a peso broker works with an individual engaged in illegal activity, such as a drug trafficker, who has currency in the United States that he needs to bring to a foreign country, such as Mexico, and convert into pesos.
The peso broker finds business owners in the foreign country who buy goods from vendors in the United States and who need dollars to pay for those goods.
The peso broker arranges for the illegally obtained dollars to be delivered to the U.S.-based vendors, such as the stores in the Fashion District, and these illegally obtained dollars are used to pay for the goods purchased by the foreign customers.
Once the goods are shipped to the foreign country and sold by the foreign-based business owner in exchange for pesos, the pesos are turned over to the peso broker, who then pays the drug trafficker in the local currency of the foreign country, thus completing the laundering of the illegally obtained dollars.
This BMPE scheme – which is also known as Trade-Based Money Laundering – is often used by Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations to collect money from their drug sales in the United States without having to take the risk of smuggling bulk amounts of U.S. currency across the Mexican border and without having to convert and wire the U.S. currency through established financial institutions, which not only carries transaction fees, but also a threat their illegal activity will be detected.
“We have targeted money laundering activities in the Fashion District based on a wealth of information that numerous businesses there are engaged in Black Market Peso Exchange schemes,” said Robert E. Dugdale, the Assistant United States Attorney who oversees the Criminal Division in the Central District of California.
Adding, “Los Angeles has become the epicenter of narco-dollar money laundering with couriers regularly bringing duffel bags and suitcases full of cash to many businesses. Because Los Angeles is at the forefront of this money laundering activity, law enforcement in Los Angeles is now at the forefront of combatting this issue.”
In the criminal case related to the laundering of ransom money to the Sinaloa Cartel, three people were arrested today for their roles in a BMPE scheme based at a Fashion District wholesaler named QT Fashion, Inc., (which did business under the names QT Maternity and Andres Fashion).
The indictment in this case also alleges that a Sinaloa, Mexico-based business, Maria Ferre S.A. de C.V., was involved in the scheme to launder ransom money.
Following the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen by the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, QT Fashion allegedly accepted bulk cash and funneled the money through 17 other Fashion District businesses at the direction of Maria Ferre.
The indictment alleges that the Sinaloa Drug Cartel ordered the kidnapping of the victim after authorities in the United States seized more than 100 kilograms of cocaine that he was responsible for distributing.
The victim was held at a ranch in Culiacan, Sinaloa, where he was beaten, shot, electrocuted and water boarded. The hostage was released after relatives paid $140,000 in ransom, and he is currently in the United States.
Three defendants related to QT Fashion were arrested Wednesday:
- Andrew Jong Hack Park (aka Andres Park), 56, of La Canada-Flintridge
- Sang Jun Park, 36, of La Crescenta
- Jose Isabel Gomez Arreoloa (aka Chabelo), 49, of downtown Los Angeles.
Three defendants linked to Maria Ferre are wanted by authorities:
- Luis Ignacio Orozco Munoz (aka Nacho), 50, of Culiacan, Sinaloa
- Armando Arturo Chavez Gamboa, 43, of Culiacan, Sinaloa
- Daisy Corrales Estrada, 30, of Culiacan, Sinaloa.
The six individual defendants were charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury on June 19.
The indictment, which was unsealed Wednesday, accuses the defendants of conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
If they are convicted of the charges in the indictment, each defendant would face a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
Second Indictment Alleging Temple City Family Money Laundering
In the second case announced Wednesday, three members of a Temple City family – Xilin Chen, 55; Chuang Feng Chen (aka “Tom”), 24, who is Xilin Chen’s son; and Aixia Chen, 28, who is Xilin Chen’s daughter – have been charged with conspiring to launder monetary instruments, money laundering, and various immigration offenses for their roles in running various businesses in the Fashion District that were used in BMPE schemes.
During Wednesday’s operation, Xilin Chen and Chuang Chen were arrested. Aixia Chen is a fugitive currently being sought by authorities.
The indictment related to the Chens’ businesses – Yili Underwear and Gayima Underwear – alleges that they received bulk cash from a narcotics trafficker in Los Angeles and from an undercover agent posing as a drug trafficker.
The Chens allegedly laundered the money to drug trafficking organizations outside of the United States through use of the BMPE scheme, and “structured” the deposits of the bulk cash they received at their businesses to avoid currency reporting requirements that would have alerted law enforcement to their criminal conduct.
IRS – Criminal Investigation’s Special Agent in Charge Erick Martinez said, “Through our collective efforts, we are gaining access to more and more information on the abusive practices of individuals and businesses involved in the laundering and structuring of drug proceeds through the Los Angeles Fashion District, and you can expect us to use all of our enforcement tools to stop this abuse. IRS – Criminal Investigation is working hard to ensure criminals do not use the United States financial system to legitimize their illegal profits.”
If they are convicted, Xilin Chen would face a statutory maximum sentence of 100 years in federal prison, Chuang Chen would face up to 40 years, and Aixia Chen could be sentenced to as much as 80 years.
Third Indictment Names Pacific Eurotex Corp and Four Suspects in Money Laundering Scheme
In the third case also announced Wednesday, a business in the Fashion District named Pacific Eurotex, Corp. and four individuals connected to that business have been charged with conspiracy to launder money, conspiring to illegally structure currency transactions to avoid a currency transaction reporting requirement, structuring currency transactions to avoid currency transaction reporting requirements, and failing to file reports of currency transactions over $10,000.
This Indictment alleges that the defendants utilized Pacific Eurotex as a repository to receive bulk cash that they knew or believed consisted of drug money, that they later laundered those drug proceeds to foreign countries through a trade-based money laundering scheme; that they failed to report the receipt of this bulk cash, as required; and that they structured deposits of this bulk cash into bank accounts by making frequent deposits of the cash in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid a bank reporting requirement that would have drawn the scrutiny of law enforcement to their actions.
“These arrests and seizures should serve as a sobering warning to companies that seek to bolster their bottom line by doing business with drug traffickers – you will pay a high price for your complicity,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles. “Unscrupulous companies that help cartels cover their financial tracks by laundering their illicit funds are contributing to the devastation wrought by the international drug trade.”
The four individual defendants named in the Pacific Eurotex indictment were arrested Wednesday:
- Hersel Neman, 55 of Beverly Hills, the chief financial officer of Pacific Eurotex
- Morad Neman, 54, of the Westwood District of Los Angeles, the chief executive officer of Pacific Eurotex and brother of Hersel Neman
- Mehran Khalili, 45, of Beverly Hills, who is a brother in law of the Nemans
- Alma Villalobos, 52, of Arleta.
This indictment alleges that Pacific Eurotex received, laundered and structured approximately $370,000 in bulk cash delivered on four separate occasions by an undercover agent posing as a money courier.
The indictment alleges that defendants laundered the money after being specifically advised by Homeland Security Investigations agents that bulk cash payments were frequently derived from illegal activity and that they were required to report cash transactions involving more than $10,000 in currency. According to the indictment, the defendants laundered money, despite the fact that, on one occasion, some of the bulk currency appeared to be spattered with blood.
California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris stated: “Transnational gangs are the number one threat to California’s public safety. These predatory criminal organizations destabilize our communities with drugs, guns and human trafficking. Today marks a major victory in our ongoing fight to keep California safe from these predators.”