Key Takeaways:
Bolivian officials met with the U.S. DEA to probe Sebastian Marset, captured March 13, for crypto money laundering.Chainalysis reports that global crypto money laundering surged 8x since 2020, reaching a massive $82B in 2025.The DEA and Bolivian Police will investigate companies receiving illicit crypto to track Marset’s crime network.On Tuesday, Bolivia’s anti-drug czar, Ernesto Justiniano, and the director of the Bolivian Special Anti-Narcotics Force (FELCN), Frans William Cabrera Quispe, traveled to Washington and met with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to strengthen the cooperation of both countries in the fight against drug trafficking and criminal organizations involved with these groups.
The main focus of this travel would be to coordinate an investigation into the criminal networks behind Sebastian Marset, called the modern Pablo Escobar, who was captured on March 13 in Bolivia, in addition to other criminal drug groups that operate in Latam. Among these are the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (Comando Vermelho), two Brazilian groups that have been accused of laundering millions using digital currencies.
Volumes have grown 8x since 2020, when Chainalysis registered only $10 billion.
