SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic authorities extradited Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. In a separate indictment, defendant Luis Febles-Peralta was also extradited to Puerto Rico to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta, brother of Febles-Peralta, was arrested in Puerto Rico for money laundering.
Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from in or about April 2021 to in or about January 2022, Espinal-Arthur conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds.
The second indictment charges Luis Febles-Peralta and Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta with money laundering conspiracy. Febles-Peralta was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from January 2022 to July 2022, the defendants conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds. Febles-Peralta and Arredondo-Peralta are facing a money laundering forfeiture allegation of $2,741,560.
Luis Febles-Peralta is also facing drug trafficking charges, that is, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, attempted importation of cocaine, and distribution for purpose of unlawful importation of cocaine.
If convicted of the charged narcotics offenses, the defendants face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison. If convicted of the money laundering charges, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is in charge of the investigation of both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of both cases.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Claudia Dubravetz.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur and Luis Febles-Peralta.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
