Illegal immigrant Oregon store owner arrested for laundering over $13 MILLION in drug trafficking money to Mexico

An illegal migrant has been accused of laundering millions of dollars of drug money to Mexico through several stores he owns in Oregon, including two bodegas and a barber shop. Jose Alonso Parama Arguello, 45, of Mexico, was arraigned Wednesday in federal court on money laundering charges. The Feds caught him in the act through the use of an informant., according to the DOJ.

According to court documents, Arguello, who is unlawfully residing in the United States, allegedly ran an intricate drug money trafficking scheme through three stores he owns and operates in Oregon, a sanctuary state. He concealed the true nature and source of the funds by breaking down transactions into smaller amounts and using fake names and addresses for the money senders. This allowed him to transfer over $13 million in narcotics trafficking proceeds to Mexico.


Jose Alonso Parama Arguello. Courtesy: Facebook

The businesses owned by the defendant, all of which are located in southern Oregon, have been identified in court documents as Tienda Santa Maria II in Phoenix, Tienda Santa Maria in Medford, and Paramos Barber Shop in Central Point. These three stores took the $13 million in narcotics money and made wire transfers to Mexico in increments of $500 or more, a common method utilized by the terrorist Cartels. At least $7 million was sent to locations in Mexico associated with narcotics trafficking, court documents state. These transactions occurred between January 2, 2024, and December 3, 2025.

The criminal investigation unit at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sicced an informant on Arguello. Federal agents provided the informant with cash in an attempt to get Arguello to wire the money to Mexico. The informant presented the funds to Arguello as drug money. Between November 2025 and January 2026, Arguello laundered over $45,000 though 22 wire transfers from the cash the informant gave him. Arguello received a ten percent commission to launder the funds, according to court documents.

Online records show that all three of Arguello's businesses are registered with the Oregon Secretary of State's Office. 


Paramos Barber Shop, left, and Tienda Santa Maria, right

During his arraignment, a judge remanded Arguello into custody pending further court proceedings. He is scheduled to appear back in court on March 23 in Medford.

Arguello has shared images and videos of his businesses mentioned in the complaint on social media, including on his Facebook account. Several of the videos feature employees who appear to be non-English speaking. The investigation remains ongoing.

Members of the public can report immigration-related crimes or suspicious activity by calling (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.