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The 40-year-old Mexican citizen, a legal permanent resident in the United States, converted approximately $750,000 into cryptocurrencies to conceal drug trafficking profits, according to the complaint filed with the Southern District of California.
Crypto Laundering
Kleiman, who previously lived and worked in San Diego before settling in Miami, operated the business as an international currency wholesaler and exchange house in the Southern District of California. According to the complaint, he used this structure to conduct cross-border currency transactions that circumvented reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act.
In February 2026, undercover agents from Homeland Security Investigations contacted Kleiman and asked him to convert dollars into cryptocurrency, warning him from the outset that the money was drug-related. Kleiman didn’t back down. “Tell me the main details. I need to know if… what you have is clean or dirty. I mean, I’m not scared, man,” he replied, according to court documents.
To keep communications outside of conventional channels, Kleiman created an email account and shared the password with the agents. Messages were drafted and saved as unsent, with the intention of reducing digital footprints.
In total, he converted approximately $750,000 into digital assets, which were transferred to the wallet of an undercover federal agent. He charged a 10% commission.
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Staged Murder for Hire
On July 28, undercover agents showed Kleiman three photographs and a video staged to simulate the victim’s capture, torture, and murder. Among the material was an image of a supposed victim lying dead in a field, a blanket covering the body bearing the words “For Being a Rat.” One of the agents told him, “They already killed the guy, so we have to pay them.” Kleiman replied, “Okay. Count on it.”
The following day, July 29, he handed over another $5,000 in cash and transferred approximately 25,000 USDT to a cryptocurrency wallet as the final payment for the murder. Combined with the two previous $5,000 advances, this completed Kleiman’s total payment of $40,000 that he had agreed to for the homicide. Hours later, he was arrested in Miami.
