How Colombia’s National Police Dismantled the Clan del Golfo’s ‘Black Jack’ Crypto Laundering Network

In a landmark worldwide operation, the Policía Nacional de Colombia (PNC), in coordination with the Spanish Civil Guard, Europol, and U.S. federal businesses, has efficiently dismantled a classy, crypto-based money laundering community referred to as “Black Jack.” This operation strikes a major monetary blow in opposition to the Clan del Golfo, considered one of the strongest transnational felony organizations in the world.

The investigation culminated in the arrests of key operatives throughout Spain and Colombia and the seizure of assets valued at an estimated $13.5 million, together with 25 properties, 9 corporations, and 15 autos.

We’re proud to have supported the Policía Nacional de Colombia with our Crypto Investigations Solution, enabling investigators to hint advanced cryptocurrency transactions and uncover the digital cash trails that conventional strategies couldn’t detect. This collaboration exemplifies how public-private partnerships can successfully fight fashionable monetary crimes.

From Hawala to crypto: The evolution of a felony enterprise

The “Black Jack” community’s pivot from money to crypto isn’t an remoted occasion; it’s a primary instance of a world pattern. As we detailed in the 2025 Crypto Crime Report, alongside growing adoption, crypto is now concerned in a variety of illicit actions, spanning drug smuggling, human trafficking, intellectual property theft, and even violent residence invasions. Traditional crime teams that after relied on money more and more flip to crypto in an try to obscure proceeds, facilitate funds, and evade detection.

This is exactly the evolution that investigators noticed on this case. Initially, the group, allegedly led by Pablo Felipe Prada Moriones, laundered proceeds from European cocaine trafficking utilizing the conventional Hawala system. They used a technique involving a cut up banknote with an identical serial quantity — a low-tech however efficient solution to keep away from formal monetary techniques.

However, dealing with growing regulation enforcement stress on cash-based laundering, the community made its transfer. In late 2020, “Black Jack” started shifting its operations onto the blockchain to maneuver hundreds of thousands throughout borders with out the bodily danger of dealing with massive sums of money.

The group established a world internet of entrance corporations and digital asset service suppliers in international locations like Spain, Lithuania, the United States, and Colombia to obscure the stream of funds from drug sales in Europe and the Americas. Communicating via encrypted messaging platforms, the community’s leaders coordinated their illicit actions on a very international scale.

Unraveling the digital path

The criminals believed the blockchain would supply a protect of anonymity; they have been incorrect. The immutable and public nature of the blockchain offered investigators with a digital breadcrumb path. By making use of superior blockchain evaluation strategies, authorities have been capable of do the following:

• Trace the stream of illicit funds from drug trafficking hotspots to the community’s laundering infrastructure
• De-anonymize transactions and hyperlink them to the real-world identities of the community’s leaders, together with “Black Jack” himself
• Identify the community’s international footprint, mapping out entrance corporations and complicit digital asset providers throughout a number of continents

This digital proof was instrumental in securing Interpol Red Notices for the major targets and coordinating the collection of takedowns. In Spain, authorities arrested Pablo Felipe Prada Moriones (“Black Jack”), his brother Santiago Prada Moriones (“Marco”), and Carlos Ariel Zuluaga Lema (“Cejas”). Simultaneously in Colombia, the PNC apprehended Jimmy García Solarte (“El Transporter”), chargeable for receiving funds, and Brenda Yineth Pineda Bedoya (“La Contadora”), who managed the entrance corporations.

How partnership and expertise dismantled a world crime ring

This operation is a testomony to the dedication, talent, and forward-thinking strategy of the Policía Nacional de Colombia. We formally congratulate them on this monumental achievement. Through collaboration with international regulation enforcement businesses, and the use of Chainalysis Reactor, Policía Nacional de Colombia have been capable of:

• disrupt a classy crypto-based cash laundering scheme;
• intercept hundreds of thousands in illicit funds from European cocaine trafficking;
• display the energy of superior blockchain investigation strategies;
• and strengthen worldwide cooperation in preventing monetary crime.

This success units a brand new commonplace for transnational investigations and demonstrates the plain energy of on-chain evaluation in bringing criminals to justice.

The way forward for preventing monetary crime

The “Black Jack” case is a transparent sign to felony organizations round the world: the blockchain just isn’t a lawless haven. With the proper instruments and experience, regulation enforcement can flip a felony’s chosen device in opposition to them, making a clear report of their crimes.

The success of the Policía Nacional de Colombia and its worldwide companions sends a strong message of deterrence and demonstrates a shared international dedication to constructing a safer monetary ecosystem for everybody.

At Chainalysis, we’re proud to contribute to this mission and stay steadfast in our dedication to empowering regulation enforcement companions worldwide of their combat in opposition to organized crime.

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