The Strongest Trader in History: How the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Unexpectedly Outperformed Wall Street Through Money Laundering

The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that DEA agents not only dismantled transnational drug trafficking networks during their decade-long undercover operation, but also unexpectedly reaped amazing returns on cryptocurrency investments. This article originated from Luke, Mars Finance, and was compiled, compiled and written by Shenchao. (Synopsis: Anti-drug dog evolution “smells of cold wallets”!) The United States donated Taiwan’s electronic detection dog Wafer, which has detected election gambling and large-scale drug cases) (Background supplement: ByteDance engineer to tens of millions of dollars crypto trader: calm wealth cryptography and trading philosophy) The U.S. Department of Justice disclosed that DEA agents not only dismantled transnational drug trafficking networks in a decade of undercover operations, but also unexpectedly became cryptocurrency investment legends. When the Justice Department filings were made public in August 2025, Wall Street’s top traders may have felt an unspeakable absurdity. While they stayed up all night for a few basis points of gain, a group of DEA (DEA) agents, hidden in the shadows, not only dismantled a huge drug trafficking network during their decade-long undercover career, but also completed a legendary cryptocurrency investment with a return of up to 1,000%. The story begins not on a clear-windowed trading floor, but in the humid jungles of Colombia and the dusty streets of the Mexican border. It’s about deception, danger and loyalty, and it’s about the wonderful chemistry of an ancient industry in the face of disruptive new technologies. This is not a movie script, but a realistic version of “Infernal Affairs”, in which the protagonists not only have to battle their wits with outlaws, but also inadvertently become money laundering experts who know better than criminals, and - one of the most successful Bitcoin investors in history. Ten Years of Lurking: When a Hunter Disguises as Prey The story begins more than a decade ago. Faced with increasingly sophisticated and financially sophisticated transnational drug cartels, the DEA realized that traditional methods of arrest and infiltration had little effect. The core of these modern criminal organizations is no longer only the armed forces, but also the large, efficient financial network behind them, which can instantly “launder” black money. To destroy the empire, it was necessary to occupy its treasury. As a result, a secretive and extremely bold undercover plan was born. The DEA decided to “master and destroy” - they wanted to personally form a disguised, professional, and even more credible money laundering team than a real criminal organization, and directly penetrate the financial heart of the drug cartel. This group of selected agents has lived a two-faced life ever since. During the day, they are federal employees; At night, they become “underground bankers” who are well-versed in the global financial system and act in secret. Their “clients” are the most notorious drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico. Their “business” is to receive bundles of cash stuffed with suitcases from street trading, and then through a maze of shell companies, offshore accounts and complex financial derivatives, to “clean” the sin-laden money and remit it to accounts designated by drug lords. It’s the ultimate role-playing game where the stakes are for life. Every step of the way has to be seamless. Imagine a high-security hotel suite in Bogotá, where DEA agents meet with a financial leader of a drug cartel. The smell of cigars and distrust filled the air. The agent must explain in the most technical terms why a complex offshore trust structure can evade supervision, and his speed of speech, his eyes, and even his inadvertent shaking fingers may become the basis for the other party’s judgment of his identity. The slightest hesitation can lead to death. For a decade, the “money laundering organization” of agents handled at least $19 million in drug money. With extreme professionalism, they succeeded in winning the “complete trust” of drug cartels. Drug lords will even brag to their peers that they have found the most reliable “financial service provider” in the United States, without knowing that the service provider’s salary is paid by American taxpayers. 2018, a gamble to “keep up with the times” Time to 2018. For the crypto world, this is the year of the “Great Disillusionment”. After a frantic bull run in 2017, Bitcoin’s price avalanche from a high of nearly $20,000, and the market is full of mourning. However, while ordinary investors are panicking and leaving, criminals with a keen sense of smell see great potential in anonymous, decentralized transactions. Cryptocurrencies are fast becoming the “new favorite” in the world of money laundering. This change was keenly captured by DEA’s undercover team. To make their “professional” image look more realistic and up-to-date, they knew they had to incorporate this cutting-edge tool into their “money laundering toolbox.” If you don’t even know Bitcoin, how can you be embarrassed to claim to be a top money laundering expert? This decision was undoubtedly a gamble at the time. For a serious government agency, using an unregulated, highly volatile emerging asset to perform its official duties is extremely risky. But the bigger risk is that if their “business capabilities” lag behind the real criminals, the trust built over the years will collapse in an instant, and the entire undercover operation will be lost. Eventually, they decided to take the plunge. In one transaction, the undercover team exchanged $150,000 for more than 13 bitcoins through a major Coinbase exchange. At the time, this was just a routine operation to imitate criminal methods, in order to make the drama more realistic and let the fish take the bait faster. When agents press the transaction button, they may be thinking about how to report the “security” and “efficiency” of the operation to the “customer”, and they may never have imagined that this crypto wallet created for forensics will undergo a nuclear bomb-level fission in value in the next few years. The Windfall: When Enforcement Becomes the Best Investment Fast forward to today. After ten years of careful layout, the DEA has mastered the core evidence chain of the drug cartel network and decided to officially close the network. When the two core drug dealers were arrested and brought to court, the prosecutor’s office began to sort through all the evidence over the years. This includes the crypto account with 13 bitcoins created in 2018. When a financial analyst called up the current balance of the account, there was a moment of silence in the office. Everyone was stunned. Since the crypto market experienced a new round of crazy bull market in the following years, the humble $150,000 worth of assets has now exceeded $1.5 million in market capitalization. A “prop” prepared for the purpose of handling a case has become a “value investment” with a return of up to 1000%. The result is full of dark humor. While the world’s top investment institutions and Wall Street elites were still anxious about the sharp fluctuations in the market, painstakingly studying candlestick charts and macroeconomic data, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, with its “side business” of fighting crime, outperformed almost everyone without bloodshed. This is perhaps the most bizarre investment case in history: the secret of success is not accurate market analysis, but an accurate imitation of criminal methods. Sweet Troubles: A Bitcoin’s Judicial Conundrum Now, as the case enters the judicial process, this “flying windfall” also brings a sweet annoyance to the US Department of Justice. According to the law, illegal gains seized by law enforcement agencies in the course of operations are expected to be turned over to the State treasury. But the nature of this money is very special: its principal is poison, but more than 90% of its appreciation comes from market behavior. Should this be counted as “illegal gain” or a legitimate “government investment income”? This case leaves a highly ironic ending and also puts forward a profound proposition of the times. In a group of the most determined enforcers,…