Russian national Pavel Kulizhnikov arrested in Miami on money laundering charges tied to drug cartels and sanctions evasion

FBI agents in Florida arrested Pavel Kulizhnikov on October 20 in Miami, accusing him of helping move cash for drug cartels and clients seeking to evade sanctions on Russia. For high-risk PSPs, the useful bit is not the arrest itself but the operating model: cash pickup, crypto conversion, cross-border routing, and a fee structure that paid the network per transaction.

1. According to Court Watch, U.S. authorities say Kulizhnikov was part of a money laundering group operating in 2024-2025 under the guise of Just World Pro Crypro Team. The group allegedly had around 10 people and used couriers to collect cash from clients before converting it into cryptocurrency and sending it onward.
2. The FBI says Kulizhnikov coordinated those couriers and was responsible for at least 11 such transactions. His commission reportedly ranged from 2% to 8% per deal, depending on where the transaction took place.
3. U.S. investigators say the network serviced, among others, the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as clients trying to bypass sanctions against Russia. That is the part compliance teams will care about: the same rails were allegedly used for narcotics proceeds and sanctions evasion.
4. The laundering activity allegedly ran across the U.S., Colombia, the United Kingdom, Spain, the UAE, Australia, and other countries. The FBI also says the group could process up to $50 million a day.

For payment providers, this is a reminder that cash-to-crypto flows with courier coordination and rapid cross-border settlement are exactly the sort of pattern that can sit inside a seemingly ordinary brokerage or “team” structure until law enforcement opens it up.