Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm – Department of Justice (.gov)

Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Charged with Laundering Drug Proceeds and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm  Department of Justice (.gov)

A Mexican national unlawfully residing in the United States has been charged with laundering purported drug proceeds and being an alien in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced today. EUGENE, Ore.— A Mexican national unlawfully residing in the United States has been charged with laundering purported drug proceeds and being an alien in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced today. According to court documents, Esteban Peralta Fragozo, 50, of Springfield, Oregon, owned and operated El Kaiman Western Wear, a Springfield business that sold clothing and provided international money transfer services. Investigators with Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allege that Fragozo used the business to launder drug trafficking proceeds through wire transfers sent to Mexico and Honduras.

Court documents allege that between January 2018 and July 2026, El Kaiman processed approximately 179,874 wire transfers totaling more than $93 million. Investigators further allege that more than $34 million in suspected drug proceeds were transmitted from Springfield to drug-trafficking corridors in Mexico and Honduras during that period. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted a series of undercover operations using a confidential informant. According to the complaint, Fragozo processed multiple wire transfers after being told the funds were