Russian national detained in the US over alleged crypto network moving $50 million a day

The DEA says Just Team and related entities may have handled around $50 million in illegal transactions per day. For PSPs and crypto businesses, the interesting part is not the headline number by itself, but the plumbing: cash couriers, bank accounts, BTC, USDT, Telegram coordination, and cross-border settlement across multiple jurisdictions.

1. According to US authorities, Kulizhnikov worked as a crypto broker for a Just World Pro Crypto Team unit also known as Just Hollywood Stars. The DEA says the network served drug cartels, including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Gulf cartels, and also helped clients evade US sanctions against Russia.
2. Investigators say Kulizhnikov organized the transfer of large cash amounts through couriers and intermediaries. The next leg of the flow used bank accounts and cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin and the USDT stablecoin, while closed Telegram groups were used to agree on transaction terms and fund handoffs.
3. The DEA says Just Team focused on transfers involving the US, Colombia, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. Related intermediaries also operated in the UK, Australia, Belarus, and Russia. Fees reportedly ranged from 2% to 8% of the transfer amount, depending on the country and the deal terms.
4. To build the case, the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS, and US Customs and Border Protection ran undercover operations. From 2021 to 2026, agents handed over several million dollars to alleged members of the network, and Kulizhnikov is said to have appeared in 11 DEA controlled transfers.
5. Law enforcement also described an internal dispute-resolution process inside Just Team. If a courier stole funds or failed to meet obligations, a 10- to 15-person commission would decide who should cover the loss, and those who refused repayment could be removed from the organization.

The case is being heard in the federal court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Kulizhnikov has not been found guilty by the court. For high-risk payment operators, the practical takeaway is that investigators are looking at the full stack: cash movement, banking rails, crypto rails, messaging apps, and internal governance, not just the final on-chain transaction.