Alleged cartel funding through the defrauding of holiday property owners — this is one of the US lines of inquiry in the case against Julio César Montero Pinson. It illustrates why drug trafficking investigators are interested in call centres and civil payments.
Key points in the case
| Background | Details |
|---|---|
| Name in sources | Julio César Montero Pinzón |
| The geographical scope of the case and its international links | Mexico; USA |
| Status of verified publications | Published in the DEA’s wanted list; criminal charges in the US |
How timeshare owners became involved in the case
In September 2025, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced charges against Montero Pinson and Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinson. According to the prosecution, the scheme targeted Americans who owned timeshares in Mexico, and the money received was channelled to the CJNG. [4]
The description includes an advance payment for a promised deal and subsequent offers to ‘help get the money back’ in exchange for further payments. Such episodes are presented as the prosecution’s version of an international financial network and call centres. [4]
The suspect’s file
Repeated extortion and the overall scale of the schemes
The prosecution describes schemes in which payments were explained away as costs associated with the sale or rental of timeshares. After losing their money, victims might receive calls purporting to be from lawyers or government officials, offering a refund in exchange for a new advance payment. [4]
The same press release states that between 2019 and 2024, around 6,000 American victims reported losses totalling approximately $350 million due to timeshare schemes in Mexico. This is the total figure for reported losses from such schemes; the entire sum cannot be taken as proof of Montero Pinson’s personal proceeds. [4]
Why is this case being considered alongside drug trafficking?
The FBI links the alleged proceeds of fraud to the financing of the CJNG’s drug and arms trafficking activities. Montero Pinson’s New York indictment lists financial conspiracies and material support for a foreign terrorist organisation. [3]
Editor’s note: the source of funds may differ from the organisation’s primary criminal market. Therefore, the analysis of civilian payments and drug trafficking investigations may overlap if the investigation proves who the funds were intended for and what specific participants knew about it.
A separate charge in the District of Columbia
In a document dated 11 January 2024, Montero Pinson is charged with conspiracy relating to the importation of cocaine and methamphetamine into the US, as well as a firearms offence. The prosecution’s case covers a period beginning around 2014. [2]
The drug case and the New York financial proceedings should not be conflated. They involve different documents and lines of evidence. The fact that the same individual is implicated allows for an examination of the connection between the cases, but does not mean the two cases will result in a single verdict.
El Tarjetas wanted: how to read the names and dates
DEA and FBI files list the aliases El Tarjetas, Moreno and El Chess, as well as variations of the name Cesar Hernandez Jimenez and CH Jimenez. The FBI cites a warrant dated 27 October 2025 relating to the New York case. [1][3]
The most substantial part of the follow-up consists of documents detailing specific payments, the management of call centres and the flow of funds. These will make it possible to distinguish the alleged general scheme from individually proven actions. Until then, legal precision is more important than the sensational label ‘cartel call centre’.
Timeline of key events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 11.01.2024 | Drug-related charges in the District of Columbia. |
| 22.09.2025 | The prosecution’s announcement regarding the financial case and timeshares. |
| 27.10.2025 | Arrest warrant relating to the amended New York indictment. |
Frequently asked questions
What is a timeshare in the context of this case?
The right to use a holiday property during specific periods; the prosecution describes a scheme targeting the owners of such rights. [4]
Are drug and financial cases part of the same investigation?
No. The article distinguishes between documents from the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of New York. [2][3]
Other international cases in the archive
This article was prepared on 4 November 2026 based on the publications listed. Allegations and suspicions are attributed to sources; the final determination of guilt is a matter for the court.
