DOJ Sentences Colombian National to 160 Months for Crypto Laundering Scheme

A federal judge has sentenced Leonardo de Jesus Zuluaga Duque, known as "Rey," to 160 months in prison for his role in an international money laundering scheme involving cryptocurrency and narcotics trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York ¹. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil handed down the sentence against the Colombian national, who was indicted alongside five other defendants ¹.

Prosecutors stated that Zuluaga Duque and his co-defendants were charged in connection with operations designed to launder hundreds of millions of dollars, which included the proceeds of illicit narcotics sales, as well as importing nine kilograms of cocaine into the United States ¹. SDNY U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald confirmed the 160-month term, bringing a formal close to Zuluaga Duque's sentencing in the international drug money conspiracy ¹.

Federal law enforcement agencies have continued expanding their focus on illicit finance networks that bridge traditional narcotics trafficking and digital asset transfers, paralleling prior prosecutorial efforts against organized money laundering organizations such as the DOJ Secures Guilty Plea from Operator of $14.7M Cybercrime Money Mule Ring investigation. The resolution underscores the substantial prison terms handed down by U.S. courts in cross-border money laundering actions involving digital assets and controlled substances ¹.