BROOKLYN, NY – A senior member of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), along with his half-sister, has been indicted for orchestrating a massive international fraud scheme that targeted thousands of Americans who own timeshare properties in Mexico.
According to an indictment unsealed earlier today in the Eastern District of New York, Julio Cesar Montero Pinzon — also known as “El Tarjetas,” “Moreno,” “El Chess,” “Cesar Hernandez Jimenez,” and “CH Jimenez” — and his half-sister, Griselda Margarita Arredondo Pinzon, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Montero Pinzon also faces two additional charges related to supporting a foreign terrorist organization, based on his leadership role in CJNG.
The defendants, both Mexican nationals, are not currently in U.S. custody.
Federal prosecutors allege that from approximately 2012 to 2024, Montero Pinzon and Arredondo Pinzon operated a fraudulent “advance fee” scheme through CJNG-controlled call centers in Mexico. Victims — largely elderly American timeshare owners — were tricked into paying upfront fees and taxes under the false promise of receiving money for selling or renting their properties. Many victims were later re-targeted through follow-up scams, where individuals pretending to be lawyers or government agents offered to help recover their losses for another fee.
Prosecutors say this scheme victimized approximately 6,000 Americans and resulted in an estimated $350 million in losses.
Montero Pinzon is accused of creating and managing the financial network used to launder the stolen funds. His sister allegedly oversaw operations at a CJNG-run office that coordinated the call centers and laundering activities.
If convicted, both face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
In addition to the federal charges, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned both defendants for their roles in the fraud. Montero Pinzon was sanctioned on Aug. 13, 2025, and Arredondo Pinzon on July 16, 2024. To date, OFAC has sanctioned over 70 individuals and entities connected to CJNG’s timeshare fraud operations.
CJNG was officially designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on Feb. 20, 2024. Prosecutors say Montero Pinzon continued his financial operations for CJNG even after this designation.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Brant Cook and Maryann McGuire of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Weintraub and Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York.
Victims aged 60 or older can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) for support. Additional fraud complaints may be filed at IC3.gov or through the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
