GREENVILLE, S.C. — The indictment alleges that approximately $135 million in United States dollars traveled through Holguin Mendez’s account from March 2023 to May 2024. Law enforcement identified bank accounts associated with shell corporations that were receiving proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics.

The drug proceeds in the United States-based account were converted to stablecoin cryptocurrency and moved to an account with a foreign-based cryptocurrency exchange. Know Your Customer (KYC) information provided to the foreign-based cryptocurrency exchange revealed that William Andres Holguin Mendez was the sole owner of the account.

The cryptocurrency in the foreign-based exchange account was converted to Colombian pesos and distributed to 207 Colombian bank accounts. FBI agents began investigating individuals believed to be involved in the international laundering of drug proceeds in the Greenville area in August 2023.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bondura is prosecuting the case.

Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, emphasized the broader operational context. "The Homeland Security Task Force continues to disrupt drug money laundering organizations, as is alleged in the indictment of a $135 million scheme orchestrated by Holguin Mendez," Stirling said.

Timeline

On September 10, 2026, a federal grand jury in Greenville returned a single-count indictment charging William Andres Holguin Mendez for his role in a $135 million money laundering conspiracy.

Also on September 10, 2026, William Andres Holguin Mendez was detained pending trial. Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, stated that the Homeland Security Task Force continues to disrupt drug money laundering organizations, as is alleged in the indictment of a $135 million scheme orchestrated by Holguin Mendez. Anish Shukla, FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge, said the defendant, as alleged in the indictment, backchanneled approximately $135 million of illegal drug proceeds tied to Upstate South Carolina.

Shukla also stated that the FBI, along with our HSTF partners, is on a continuous mission to identify, investigate, and prosecute every criminal involved in large-scale drug operations from the dealers to the money facilitators. Stirling added that law enforcement will work together across domestic and international borders to trace illegal drug profits to investigate and prosecute narcotics dealers. Shukla concluded by saying we are committed to making our communities safe and removing the threat of cartels.

Why It Matters

The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. This framework directs federal resources toward disrupting transnational criminal networks that utilize financial systems to move illicit funds.

The scale of the alleged scheme involves the movement of $135 million through digital assets and international banking channels. By converting drug proceeds into stablecoin cryptocurrency and distributing them across 207 Colombian bank accounts, the indictment outlines a method designed to obscure the origin of funds tied to illegal narcotics sales in the United States.