Jose Alonso Paramo Arguello, a 45-year-old Mexican citizen unlawfully residing in the United States, was charged with money laundering on Mar. 18 after allegedly using his Oregon-based businesses to launder narcotics trafficking proceeds and structure financial transactions to avoid law enforcement detection.
Arguello, owner of Tienda Santa Maria II LLC in Phoenix, along with Tienda Santa Maria in Medford and Paramos Barber Shop in Central Point, is accused of transferring more than $13 million from January 2024 through December 2025 via wire transfers of $500 or more to Mexico. Of that amount, over $7 million was sent to locations associated with narcotics trafficking. Authorities say Arguello broke down transactions into smaller amounts and used false names and addresses for senders to conceal the source of funds.
According to court documents, an informant working with the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) told Arguello he was a drug dealer before wiring money. Arguello responded, “You sell whatever you want, you’re a merchant, period.” Between November 2025 and January 2026, Arguello allegedly laundered over $45,000 in purported drug proceeds through 22 wire transfers while collecting a 10% commission he referred to as a bribe.
Arguello appeared before a U.S. Magistrate judge and was ordered detained pending further proceedings scheduled for March 23 in Medford. The investigation is being led by IRS-CI with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET), and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Cardani and Julia Jarrett are prosecuting the case.
This arrest is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159. The task force brings together agencies such as FBI, HSI, DEA, USMS, IRS-CI, ATF, USPIS, CBP, TSA, U.S. Coast Guard and others under the leadership of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Scott Bradford has served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon after holding roles including Chief of the White Collar Unit and Acting Chief of Counterintelligence and Export Control Section according to the official website. The office engages in community outreach across Oregon according to its official website, maintains offices in Portland, Eugene and Medford according to its official website, operates under the Department of Justice as one of 93 such offices nationwide according to its official website, employs 107 staff members according to its official website, and seeks justice by representing the United States in civil and criminal matters while fostering trust in the federal judicial system according to its official website.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
