Drug traffickers laundered millions of dollars to Mexico, Kansas investigators say

Federal prosecutors have charged 40 people in an alleged international drug trafficking and money-laundering scheme, including two people in Kansas.

Juan Duarte-Tello, 44, and Diana Aurora Holguin-Gallegos, 30, both of Kansas City, Mo., are charged with working as couriers who transported large amounts of cash generated by trafficking drugs, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a release.

The charges were announced in San Diego and include 40 people who allegedly laundered tens of millions of dollars in drug money from drug dealers in the U.S. to suppliers in Mexico, McAllister said. The defendants are from California, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio and Washington.

The release said law enforcement seized more than $6 million in U.S. currency in its investigation. Tens of millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds were allegedly laundered between 2015 and 2018.

Duarte-Tello and Holguin-Gallegos are awaiting trial. The release said they rented Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo., residences, where they allegedly stored and distributed methamphetamine.

More than 44 kilograms of meth, 3 kilograms of cocaine and more than $100,000 in cash were seized in the Kansas portion of the investigation, the release said. The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating the case for two years.

This story was originally published March 8, 2018 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Drug traffickers laundered millions of dollars to Mexico, Kansas investigators say."