DEA, FBI bust Sinaloa cartel, confiscate $10M in cryptocurrency

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working alongside the FBI, has seized over $10 million in cryptocurrency linked to the infamous Sinaloa cartel during operations in Miami, Florida.

The seizure came as part of an extensive nationwide crackdown that has led to the confiscation of 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, and more than 201,500 pounds of cocaine since January 2025, according to the US Department of Justice.

“DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts — with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “We are dismantling these networks piece by piece — and we won’t stop until the last brick of their empire falls.”

The Sinaloa cartel remains one of six Mexican drug trafficking organizations labeled as global “terrorist” groups by the US government. The group is primarily involved in the distribution of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cannabis and MDMA (ecstasy).

Difference between authentic oxycodone and fake oxycodone. Source: DOJRelated: Canada to monitor crypto transactions for drug money

DEA launches nationwide raids

The DOJ highlighted several recent successful raids across the US amid a national crackdown on drugs. In Lexington County, South Carolina, agents seized 156 pounds of fentanyl and 44 pounds of methamphetamine alongside a firearm and arrested a trafficker.

In California’s Kern County, a methamphetamine conversion lab was dismantled, with agents confiscating over 240 pounds of crystal meth and 151 gallons of liquid meth.

Georgia officials intercepted over 700 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in a truckload of cucumbers, and Texas law enforcement uncovered 1,700 pounds of methamphetamine worth over $15 million hidden inside a vehicle.

The raids coincide with ongoing legal battles against cartel figures, including Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of notorious drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who recently pleaded guilty to drug charges in Chicago.

“Our DEA agents are doing historic work to keep our communities safe from deadly drugs like fentanyl and dismantle the cartels selling them,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “I want to remind all Americans to exercise extreme caution: a pill can kill.”

Related: DWF Labs partner stood down after drink-spiking allegations

Crypto crosschain laundering jumps to $21.8 billion

According to UK blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, illicit and high-risk cryptocurrency flowing through crosschain swaps has surged to an estimated $21.8 billion in 2025, up from $7 billion in 2023. North Korean actors account for roughly 12% of these transactions.

The rise of new blockchains and crosschain services results in more crypto laundering avenues. Source: EllipticElliptic noted that crosschain swaps have become central to laundering operations, as criminals leverage multiple blockchains to obscure the origin and destination of funds. While costly and inefficient, these tactics have become standard in large-scale laundering efforts.

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