Operation Neymar: US Authorities Expose Money Laundering Ring Involving 'El Chapo' Guzmán

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán continues to make the headlines even after being recaptured by the Mexican government on January 8, 2016. On Thursday, the Miami-Dade police department called for a media conference to expose "Operation Neymar." A sophisticated ring of money launderers believed to be connected to the Sinaloa Cartel leader.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle announced arrest warrants for 22 people, who were using popular names such as "Neymar," "Pitbull," "Tony Montana," "Mr. Big," "Vito Corleone," among others, to remain anonymous and facilitate the sending of untold millions in illegal cocaine profits to Colombia using nearly a dozen businesses in Miami-Dade.

"They use Miami’s strong international economy as the actual funnel of all of their international money-laundering operations," Fernandez Rundle told reporters at the press conference on Thursday. "We are surely the global hub for money laundering."

Fernandez added that five people from the criminal ring have already been arrested. Three were detained in Miami earlier this week, one more in Boston, and one of the major players is awaiting for his extradition to the United States in a prison located in Cali, Colombia.

Sources report the identification and capture of the delinquents involved was made possible thanks to the collaboration of 12 states and 17 countries, which agreed to cooperate under the leadership of agents in South Florida.

"Operation Neymar" is the second money launderer revealed to be working with the notorious kingpin this week. Over the weekend, the Panama Papers uncovered a connection between "El Chapo" and Mossack Fonseca, a firm accused of participating in sanction violation, tax evasion, money laundering, and other illegal activities around the world.

According to recent reports, Mossack Fonseca was linked to Guzmán via Marllory Chacón, better known as "La Reina del Sur," who was later identified as the most active money laundering entity in the country and leader of a branch of the Sinaloa Cartel.