🚨 Federal Raid in California Uncovers Alleged $275 Million Hidden Inside Nonprofit Walls

Federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out an early-morning raid at 6:52 a.m. at a nonprofit facility in San Bernardino County, California, uncovering what prosecutors allege was a large-scale cartel-linked money laundering operation.

According to authorities, agents broke open drywall behind the executive director’s desk and discovered vacuum-sealed bundles of cash totaling approximately $275 million hidden inside the walls. The nonprofit, operating under the name Community Advancement Network, was federally registered and publicly promoted job training and immigration assistance programs.

Prosecutors contend that while families and community members waited in office reception areas, the organization allegedly moved more than $600 million in cartel-associated funds through concealed financial channels. Investigators described the operation as sophisticated, with funds reportedly structured and stored to avoid detection.

The alleged mastermind behind the scheme has since been sentenced, and the office interior — including the concealed wall compartments — has been dismantled as part of the investigation. Officials say the case highlights vulnerabilities within charitable registration and financial oversight systems.

While authorities have emphasized that the investigation has concluded at the organizational level, broader concerns remain about how legitimate nonprofit structures can allegedly be exploited to conceal illicit financial activity. Further reviews of related financial records are ongoing to determine whether additional entities were connected to the scheme.