Authorities in Vermont have charged Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado in connection with a major money laundering operation tied to human smuggling. The case exposes how illegal earnings from moving people across borders were processed through the U.S. financial system for profit.
Money Laundering Connected to Human Smuggling
Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado faces two counts of transactional money laundering alongside charges related to human smuggling. Investigators say Luna Rosado handled payments made by people smuggled from Mexico, Central America, and South America into the United States.
Court documents reveal that after the individuals were transported from southern Canada across the U.S.-Canada border into northern Vermont, they were picked up by drivers and taken to New York City. Once there, the smuggled individuals paid Luna Rosado in U.S. currency. The indictment states that Luna Rosado then deposited and withdrew these funds through the U.S. financial system, with some transactions exceeding $10,000.
Authorities say these transactions were designed to conceal the origin of the funds derived from illegal smuggling activities. The case demonstrates how human smuggling and money laundering can operate together, allowing criminal networks to profit from illegal activities while making it difficult for law enforcement to trace the money.
Coordinated Operations Behind the Scheme
According to the indictment, Luna Rosado allegedly directed smuggling operations from August 2022 through March 2024. He reportedly used live shared cellular location data to guide the smuggled individuals across the U.S.-Canada border into northern Vermont.
From there, he coordinated with drivers through an encrypted chat platform of approximately 70 participants to transport the individuals to New York City. Upon arrival, the individuals paid Luna Rosado in cash, which he then moved through the U.S. financial system in ways that investigators describe as transactional money laundering.
The indictment emphasizes that the money laundering was an integral part of the smuggling operation, allowing Luna Rosado to profit from his activities while attempting to disguise the illicit origins of the money. This highlights the financial sophistication involved in transnational smuggling networks.
Investigation and Prosecution Efforts
The indictment was announced by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt, and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the Swanton Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Investigative efforts were led by the Swanton Sector Intelligence Unit assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Newport Station, along with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Derby Line Office, supported by HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
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Trial Attorneys Jake Drucker and Emily Cohen from the DOJ’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section, along with Chelsea Schinnour, Chet Kirkham, and Eugenia Cowles, are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which targets leaders of cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and related crimes such as money laundering.
JTFA has previously led to over 435 arrests, more than 385 convictions, over 330 significant jail sentences, and substantial asset forfeitures. This case underscores the agency’s commitment to dismantling both smuggling networks and the financial operations that enable them.
The investigation and indictment illustrate how authorities are pursuing complex financial crimes linked to human smuggling, using extensive coordination between federal agencies to trace and prosecute illegal transactions.
The indictment is a formal accusation, and Luna Rosado is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. These charges reveal how human smuggling operations can involve sophisticated money laundering schemes that move illegal earnings across borders and through the U.S. banking system.