California pair charged with laundering crypto proceeds from darknet fentanyl sales

A California duo has been indicted on charges of darknet drug trafficking and laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency proceeds from fentanyl and methamphetamine sales.

According to a Wednesday statement from the Department of Justice, Nicholas Aguilar and Jessica Marcolina allegedly ran vendor accounts under the moniker "HotGirlzClub" on multiple darknet marketplaces. They are accused of shipping over 500 drug parcels nationwide over a seven-month period in 2025.

The pair also allegedly laundered the proceeds from the drug sales through crypto transactions designed to conceal the source of the funds.

During searches of the suspects' residence in California, authorities found various evidence including drug packaging materials, a food processor containing suspected narcotics residue, firearms, and warning labels advising customers to "be safe until you know your tolerance for the product."

The suspects also allegedly operated an illicit firearms manufacturing setup, producing ghost guns, suppressors, and upper and lower firearm receivers.

If convicted, Aguilar and Marcolina would each face up to life in prison on the drug trafficking conspiracy charges and up to 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy charges, according to the statement.

Broader crackdown

The indictment comes amid a broader U.S. crackdown on illicit drug trafficking and crypto-based money laundering. In May, The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned more than a dozen individuals and entities accused of converting fentanyl cash proceeds into crypto for the Sinaloa Cartel crime syndicate.

In March, a federal grand jury in Ohio also indicted two Chinese pharmaceutical companies and six Chinese nationals on charges related to fentanyl precursor trafficking and laundering proceeds through crypto.