Michelle Alvarado, 27, of Georgia, pleaded guilty on November 27, 2024, to charges of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo accepted the plea in a case that highlights the involvement of transnational drug trafficking networks.
Alvarado was charged in a superseding indictment with:
- Count Two: Conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A) and 1956(h). This charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
- Count Three: Interstate travel in aid of racketeering, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952(a)(3)(A) and (2). This charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
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According to court documents, Alvarado and her co-conspirators transported U.S. currency and narcotics between New Orleans and other states on behalf of a drug trafficking organization.
The operation involved smuggling the contraband from Louisiana to Mexico, furthering the network’s criminal activities.
his case is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The program employs a multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach to dismantling criminal networks that pose significant threats to the United States.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit is handling the prosecution.
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