U.S. Attorney Visited Guatemala to Tackle Cartel Finance
U.S. officials met with Guatemalan leaders to coordinate strategies against transnational money laundering networks.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Drug Crime
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould and Criminal Chief Fabio Leonardi traveled to Guatemala to strengthen efforts against transnational cartels. The delegation met with high-level government officials and federal agencies to address illicit financial systems.
Why it matters
The meetings aimed to disrupt complex financial networks used by cartels, including cryptocurrency channels, bulk-cash operations, and trade-based laundering. Coordinating evidence sharing is a key step in prosecuting international criminal organizations.
Two U.S. Department of Justice officials traveled to Guatemala to collaborate with local authorities on joint prosecution strategies. The effort focuses on intelligence sharing regarding money-movement systems that utilize the Dallas-Fort Worth area as a transit hub.
The players
Ryan Raybould
He is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas leading the coordination of international cartel investigations.
Fabio Leonardi
He serves as a Criminal Chief and participated in the meetings with Guatemalan authorities to discuss prosecuting transnational groups.
The details
The trip included strategic discussions with the President of Guatemala, the country's Attorney General, and leadership from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The collaboration emphasizes targeting the financial infrastructure of cartels that operate across international borders.
Timeline
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould visited Guatemala during the week of September 24, 2026.
Case Status
This diplomatic effort aligns with long-standing bilateral security frameworks intended to disrupt transnational criminal capacity. It follows the pattern established by the Mérida Initiative by deepening the integration of U.S. and regional investigative resources against cartel operations.
The disruption of cartel financial networks in major transit hubs like Dallas-Fort Worth is designed to reduce the presence of illicit money-movement operations in local communities. These initiatives aim to increase public safety by dismantling the systems that fund high-level criminal activities.
The takeaway
Disrupting the financial flow of cartels is now as critical to law enforcement as direct drug interdiction. International cooperation remains the primary tool for dismantling the complex, borderless networks that sustain these criminal organizations.
Further reading
Learn more about international efforts to curb illicit networks in the Drug Crime section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The United States Department of Justice.
