The U.S. Department of Justice said that Carlos Erick Vázquez González, a 48-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in a federal court in Kentucky. ^[1] The scheme involved collecting cash from drug sales in the United States and transferring the funds to Mexico using cryptocurrencies. ^[2] According to court documents, Vázquez González admitted his role in an organization of 'financial intermediaries' that collected drug trafficking proceeds in various U.S. cities, laundered the money, and sent it to Mexico using cryptocurrencies. ^[3] According to court documents, Vázquez González received approximately $4 million from these illicit activities in a cryptocurrency wallet under his control, then quickly moved the funds to conceal their origin. ^[4] The sentencing hearing for Vázquez González is scheduled for December 17, and he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. ^[5] The Department of Justice reported that the $4 million in funds originated from drug trafficking activities in the United States and were transferred to Mexico using cryptocurrency. ^[6] Vázquez González acted as part of a financial intermediary organization that collected profits from drug trafficking in various US cities and converted cryptocurrency to US dollars in Mexico. ^[7] Vázquez González acted as an intermediary, receiving the illicit funds in a digital wallet, dispersing them to obscure the trail, and converting them to cash in Mexico before returning the capital to the original collectors. ^[8] Vázquez González earned an estimated commission of 40,000 dollars for coordinating these transactions. ^[9] The Department of Justice stated that Vázquez González participated in a network of financial intermediaries that collected illicit profits from various US cities and transferred them to Mexico using cryptocurrency. ^[10] Vázquez González sold the cryptocurrency for US dollars in Mexico and delivered the cash to the intermediaries who managed the collection of profits in the United States. ^[11] The accused received an estimated commission of $40,000 for his role in the money laundering scheme. ^[12]