Uruguayan linked to Marset sentenced to 15 years for money laundering

Federico Santoro, a Uruguayan citizen linked to the criminal organization led by Sebastián Marset, was sentenced by a U.S. court to 15 years in prison. The sentence was issued after the defendant pleaded guilty to money laundering proceeds from international drug trafficking.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Santoro was part of a network that collected drug trafficking proceeds and channeled them through a network of companies to conceal the origin of the funds. The financial transactions were mostly carried out in euros and transferred through companies registered in both South America and Asia.

The investigation determined that the Uruguayan operated at least seven companies to carry out these transactions. These companies were used to issue false invoices and thus justify the entry of foreign currency into the formal banking system. Furthermore, the structures set up made it possible to conceal the location and true ownership of the associated assets.

In total, Santoro allegedly managed to introduce more than $11 million into the US banking system, money directly linked to drug trafficking. This laundering operation ran over several years and served to finance large-scale criminal activities.

Santoro's arrest took place in Paraguay in August 2023 as part of the "A Ultranza Py" operation. This same procedure also led to the arrest of Giannina García Troche, Marset's partner, and triggered an arrest warrant for Marset himself, who is currently wanted by authorities.

Following his arrest in Paraguay, Santoro was charged with money laundering and criminal association, crimes classified by that country's justice system. However, the judicial process was suspended due to the United States' extradition request. The Uruguayan citizen's handover to US authorities was finalized in July 2024.

Once on US soil, Santoro chose to cooperate with the justice system and pleaded guilty to the charges against him. This decision expedited the judicial process and resulted in a final sentence of 15 years in prison, without the possibility of early parole.

According to authorities, this conviction is part of a broader crackdown on drug-related money laundering, particularly in cross-border operations that use shell business structures to legitimize capital.

Although he wasn't the only one involved, investigators considered Santoro's role to be key, as he acted as a financial intermediary within a network with operations in multiple countries. His relationship with Sebastián Marset was mentioned in the case file as part of the overall context of the case, but the conviction focused exclusively on financial transactions carried out in the United States.

The case once again highlighted the ability of certain criminal organizations to establish complex networks operating simultaneously on different continents. The use of front companies and transfers between international banks remains one of the most widely used methods for laundering illicit assets.

At the regional level, Santoro's arrest also generated political and judicial repercussions. His connection to Marset, a central figure in the security agenda in both Paraguay and Uruguay, reinforces the transnational dimension of the drug phenomenon. In this context, prosecutors' offices in both countries are assessing the impact of extradition on ongoing local judicial proceedings.

In addition to the judicial impact, the Santoro case exposes the challenges that States face in dismantling criminal networks with the economic and operational capacity to operate alongside the formal system. Coordination between international agencies was key to achieving the conviction, and it is expected to continue in similar cases.

As more details of the case become known, questions arise about the scope of the financial transactions and the level of knowledge other members of the network had. For now, the ruling against Santoro represents another step in the judicial process seeking to track drug money and hold those who channel it accountable.