US seizes $10 million tied to the Sinaloa Cartel amid drug crackdown

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Federal agents have taken a major blow to the cartel’s financial operations in Miami by seizing more than $10 million in crypto assets related to the infamous Sinaloan drug cartel.

The July 2025 crackdown will disrupt key channels for washing drug profits and mark a critical shift towards enforcement in the digital age. The operation not only relies on traditional law enforcement approaches, but also shows the federal government’s focus on stopping drug trafficking by cutting criminal funds.

Miami Operations destroys cartel crypto pipelines

In early July, coordinated efforts by the Miami Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the FBI resulted in more than $10 million in cryptocurrency assets directly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Federal agents uncovered the complex schemes that cartels used to wash illegal profits through digital currencies, making it difficult to track and recover financial trajectories.

Miami’s code attacks came as part of a drastic variety of attacks, including the dismantling of methamphetamine labs, fentanyl trafficking rings, and polydrug distribution networks. Authorities have seized an estimated 44 million fentanyl tablets and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder since January. Additionally, agents intercepted nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine and over 201,500 pounds of cocaine.

A Department of Justice investigation has made it one of the largest code attacks of the year. So far, US institutions have intercepted an increase in the volume of crypto assets associated with international drug businesses. Additionally, Beincrypto recently reported that the US Secret Service had seized about $400 million in crypto assets over the past decade amid the fight against Crypto fraud.

In addition to seizing assets, authorities are focusing on people who will allow illegal funds to travel across borders. In March, the Treasury imposes new sanctions on individuals and organizations related to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Sanctions compensate for traditional enforcement by freezing assets and blocking access to the US financial system. In doing so, authorities will separate criminal businesses and limit their ability to move illegal funds.

“The DEA is attacking painful cartels with arrests, seizures, merciless pressure. From metallabs in California to fentanyl pills, to fentanyl pills disguised as if seized at our border, these operations save America’s lives every day.”