A Carlsbad man was sentenced to more than five years behind bars for his involvement in laundering more than $15 million for international drug rings, including the Sinaloa Cartel.
Bradley John Martin, 55, pleaded guilty in May to having laundered money on several occasions including transporting $1,800,000 in cash for the “hawala” ring. He also admitted to operating an unlicensed remitting business.
A “hawala” ring is an alternate way of transferring money—only the value of the money is transferred but not the money, according to the indictment. Two brokers operate each “hawala” and move money across various countries with other money laundering rings, all without any legal bindings.
“Individuals lending assistance to drug traffickers in the form of laundering drug proceeds are arguably no better than the traffickers themselves. Martin’s sentence is a warning to others that might be tempted to collude with drug trafficking organizations,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge John S. Comer.
According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the international scheme spanned across Canada, India, Mexico and the United States. The money was sent to the Sinaloa Cartel, which used it to invest in drugs that were then sold in the U.S. and Canada.
The Sinaloa Cartel, formerly run by drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman" is an international drug trafficking and money laundering ring.
Martin was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison and will be supervised for three years after his release.
