Minneapolis money transmitter charged in $750K cartel laundering
Christopher A. Bravo Marin, 46, of Minneapolis, was charged in an indictment returned Aug. 20, 2026 with conspiring to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).[1]
Homeland Security Investigations arrested Bravo, the indictment says.[1] Prosecutors say he processed transfers that skirted reporting rules by structuring payments under $1,000 and used fake Hispanic-origin sender names and straw beneficiaries in Mexico.[1] The filings allege the scheme involved forged signatures, texted receipts and roughly $40 to $50 paid to Bravo per transaction.[1]
Between February 2023 and February 2026, prosecutors say Bravo funneled the money for CJNG through the repeated small transfers.[1] The indictment was returned Aug. 20, 2026 and announced in a press release from U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen, who described the alleged laundering operation.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Defendant: Christopher A. Bravo Marin, 46, of Minneapolis
- Charge: Conspiracy to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds for CJNG between February 2023 and February 2026
- Method: Structured transfers under $1,000, fake Hispanic-origin sender names, straw beneficiaries in Mexico, forged signatures and texted receipts
- Compensation: Alleged $40–$50 paid to Bravo by cartel members for each transfer processed
- Source: Indictment returned Aug. 20, 2026 and U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen’s press release; arrest by Homeland Security Investigations
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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