DEA arrests eight in Colombia linked to money laundering in Puerto Rico
Eight people were arrested in Colombia on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering connected to an operation in Puerto Rico. The DEA confirmed the arrests in Barranquilla, Maicao and Bogotá.
Eight arrested in Colombia in drug trafficking and money laundering case with links to Puerto Rico
Colombian authorities apprehended eight people linked to an international investigation into money laundering and drug trafficking, according to confirmation provided to elnuevodia.com by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The arrests are related to an operation carried out in October 2025 in Puerto Rico.
Six of the detainees were captured in Barranquilla, Maicao and Bogotá in response to pending charges in Puerto Rico. The accused were identified as Guillermo Carpio Cárdenas, Alex Castillo Gómez, Andrés Guarnizo Vaca, Danilo Hernández Junco, Nizar Hachem Sawan and Jhon Torres Peláez.
The other two arrests occurred on 14 October: Juan Arenas Uribe was captured in Colombia and Steven Fernández Castañeda in the state of Florida.
Although all eight are linked to last year's operation, the DEA clarified that they face charges in a separate indictment, issued by a grand jury on 23 April, which includes conspiracy to import cocaine and money laundering. Their transfer to Puerto Rico for prosecution will depend on the speed of the extradition process.
Michael Mayer, special agent in charge of the DEA's Caribbean Division, highlighted the scope of international cooperation: "These detentions demonstrate the strength of our international partnerships and our shared determination to dismantle the criminal organisations responsible for trafficking cocaine into the United States and laundering their illicit proceeds."
Mayer added that collaboration with Colombian authorities and federal prosecutors will continue regardless of where the criminal networks operate.
The original operation, named "Operation Buried Treasure", was executed in October 2025 and involved arrest warrants against 18 people linked to criminal networks with a presence in the Caribbean and the United States. The investigation began in 2021 and exposed the alleged laundering of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds, as well as the distribution of large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl and other controlled substances.
Throughout the investigation, authorities seized more than $8 million in cash and assets, over 100 kilogrammes of cocaine, several firearms and more than 20,000 fentanyl tablets.
Source: Google News PR — Crime