Authorities in the US have seized over $10 million in cryptocurrencies linked to the Sinaloa cartel, marking a new milestone in the fight against drug trafficking through blockchain traceability.
Fentanyl, Cocaine, Crypto: The Figures of a Modern War
Since January 2025, US federal agencies have launched a massive operation resulting in the confiscation of:
- 44 million fentanyl pills
- 2 tons of fentanyl powder
- 30 tons of methamphetamine
- 90 tons of cocaine
And now, $10 million in frozen crypto, identified as belonging to the cartel.
Record seizures, as drug lords adopt increasingly sophisticated tools to launder their profits, with crypto at the center.
We dismantle these networks brick by brick. And we won’t stop until their empire crumbles.
Robert Murphy, DEA
Des labos démantelés… des wallets aussi
The war on drugs knows no borders. In South Carolina, 71kg of fentanyl. In California, an entire lab of liquid methamphetamine. In Georgia, 318kg of crystal meth hidden in a cucumber truck. And in Texas, 771kg of meth valued at $15 million.
But behind these physical traffics, another front emerges: the digital flows. Cartels’ money circulates on Ethereum, through crosschain swaps, anonymous wallets, unknown layers… and becomes harder to trace than a convoy on the interstate.
El Chapo’s Son Falls, Cryptos Rise
Simultaneously, network leaders fall. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of the notorious El Chapo, recently pleaded guilty in Chicago. But while some fall, others evolve. And this is where cryptos change the game.
According to Elliptic, money laundering through crosschain swaps has increased, albeit still much lower than fiat laundering:
$21.8 billion in 2025, compared to only $7 billion in 2023. Especially since North Korean cybercriminals account for 12% of these flows.
Complex, costly swaps, not yet effective enough to obscure the trails.
Crypto: The Weapon of Both Camps
It’s the ambiguity of web3: simultaneously a tool of freedom and a new haven for criminal networks.
In reality, the inherent traceability of blockchain becomes primarily a weapon for intelligence agencies. With advanced analysis tools, authorities identify wallets, track transactions, and freeze funds.
A 3.0 pursuit where private keys are now seized instead of briefcases.
Crypto doesn’t replace drugs; it becomes the vector. But perhaps also, the cartels’ Achilles’ heel.
