Oregon business owner accused of laundering $18 million in ‘dirty money’ for drug traffickers
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The owner of a local money transmitter business in the Pacific Northwest is accused of laundering money for international drug traffickers, federal authorities said.
Brenda Lili Barrera Orantes operates La Popular, a money service business with locations in Oregon and Washington. The 39-year-old Guatemalan national living in Beaverton is accused of laundering drug proceeds for criminal organizations in Mexico and Honduras, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
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Barrera Orantes was arraigned in federal court this week and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation announced they’ve issued an order against her to cease and desist all criminal activities and regulatory violations related to money transmissions.
The alleged activities happened between 2021 and 2024, in which Barrera Orantes is accused of having accepted cash from drug proceeds and wired funds through the La Popular stores. Barrera Orantes allegedly charged a 10% commission for the service. The activity allegedly involved creating false financial records, including “fictitious sender information to conceal her money laundering activities,” U.S. DOJ officials said.
Of the more than $89 million transferred through her business in that timeframe, $18.5 million was sent to regions in Mexico and Honduras associated with drug trafficking organizations, court documents said.
“This investigation has revealed the pivotal role that money service businesses play in laundering the enormous proceeds of trafficking illegal drugs in our community,” said Katie de Villiers, Chief of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division for the District of Oregon. “The amount of dirty money allegedly flowing through these small businesses and back to Mexico and Honduras is truly staggering. We intend to hold accountable the operators of these businesses who profit by assisting drug trafficking organizations in laundering their proceeds.”
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Barrera Orantes was arrested in Beaverton on April 16 “without incident” after investigators executed federal search warrants at her home, and three La Popular stores in Beaverton, Hillsboro and Vancouver, officials said.
If found guilty, Barrera Orantes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the money laundered.
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