MEDFORD, Ore. (Mar. 18, 2026) — A Southern Oregon business owner has been charged with money laundering after federal authorities say he used multiple storefronts to funnel millions of dollars in suspected narcotics proceeds to Mexico.
Jose Alonso Paramo Arguello, 45, a Mexican citizen unlawfully residing in the United States, was charged by criminal complaint with money laundering.
According to court documents, Arguello owns and operates Tienda Santa Maria II in Phoenix, Oregon, along with Tienda Santa Maria in Medford and Paramos Barber Shop in Central Point. Investigators allege he used the businesses as fronts to transfer drug trafficking proceeds by breaking large sums into smaller transactions and using false names and addresses to disguise the source of the funds.
Authorities say that between Jan. 2, 2024, and Dec. 3, 2025, the three businesses sent more than $13 million in wire transfers of $500 or more to Mexico — a pattern officials say is often associated with narcotics trafficking. Of that amount, more than $7 million was sent to locations in Mexico tied to drug activity.
The investigation by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division included the use of an informant, who was provided cash to test Arguello’s services. According to prosecutors, the informant told Arguello he was a drug dealer, to which Arguello allegedly responded, “You sell whatever you want, you’re a merchant, period.”
From November 2025 through January 2026, authorities say Arguello laundered more than $45,000 in funds the informant represented as drug proceeds through 22 wire transfers. Investigators allege Arguello charged a 10% fee for the transactions, referring to it as a “bribe.”
Arguello made his first appearance in federal court on Wednesday before a U.S. magistrate judge and was ordered detained pending further proceedings. A hearing is scheduled for March 23, 2026, in Medford.
The case is being investigated by IRS-CI with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Cardani and Julia Jarrett are prosecuting the case.
Officials said the arrest is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a multi-agency effort targeting transnational criminal organizations, including drug trafficking and human smuggling networks.
A criminal complaint is an accusation, and Arguello is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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