Colombian National Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy
(Miami, FL = Alex Walczak) On August 17, 2026, Andrelio Castaño Rojas, a 55-year-old Colombian national, pleaded guilty to a seven-year money laundering conspiracy involving the purchase of consumer electronics with drug proceeds.
Castaño’s guilty plea was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice, revealing that he conspired to launder drug trafficking profits from January 2018 to March 2025 through a currency exchange scheme. Court documents indicate that he opened U.S. bank accounts for two of his companies, using these accounts to receive drug proceeds via bank wires and bulk cash deposits.
The laundered funds were then used to purchase consumer electronics, which Castaño exported back to Colombia. His sentencing is scheduled for January 22, 2027, where he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the final sentence based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, along with First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Matthew Allen, Chief of Operations at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA’s Norfolk Resident Office and Miami Field Division are currently investigating the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) of the Justice Department is dedicated to eliminating drug cartels and protecting the U.S. financial system by prosecuting those who launder criminal profits. This case underscores the ongoing challenges posed by drug trafficking and money laundering in the United States.
