Colombia-based broker sentenced to 160 months for laundering $14.5M in USDT

A Colombia-based crypto broker is headed to a US federal prison for 160 months. That works out to a little over 13 years, for moving drug money through one of the most widely used stablecoins in the world. Leonardo de Jesus Zuluaga Duque, who went by the nickname “Rey,” was sentenced on October 21, 2026, in a US District Court. Prosecutors tied him to the laundering of approximately $14.5 million in USDT and to a conspiracy to bring cocaine into the United States. What the court found The scheme ran from May to November 2023. In about seven months, that much money moved through the operation. He did not act alone. Five accomplices worked alongside him, according to the research findings on the case. The group used several tools to keep the money moving. These included crypto accounts, shell companies, and money transfers between the US and Colombia. The drug side of the conspiracy involved importing about 9 kilograms of cocaine into the US. Set that against $14.5 million in laundered funds, and the financial operation looks far larger than any single shipment. Prison time was only part of the penalty. The court ordered Zuluaga Duque to forfeit $14.75 million. He must also give up d...