A Dominican national residing in Boston has been apprehended for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy. Jose Miguel Pena de la Cruz, 32, was charged with one count of money laundering conspiracy and appeared in federal court on March 18, 2025.
The charging documents indicate that between April 17, 2020, and May 14, 2020, Pena de la Cruz delivered $340,080 on behalf of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Massachusetts to be laundered for a DTO in Mexico. It is alleged that he laundered the funds by delivering bulk cash drug proceeds packaged in bundles to undercover law enforcement officers after DTO members arranged the transaction with them. During the investigation, more than 14 kilograms of fentanyl linked to the DTO were seized.
The charge of money laundering carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the laundered funds. Upon completion of any imposed sentence, Pena de la Cruz will also face deportation. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna from the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting this case.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The operation leverages resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The allegations contained in the charging document remain just that—allegations—and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.