CEO of Cross-Border Currency Exchange Business Arrested in Murder-for-Hire Plot

SAN DIEGO- Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan, chief executive officer of MoneyFlip LLC, a registered Money Services Business (MSB) offering cross-border currency exchange services, was arrested in Miami this morning in connection with a federal complaint filed in San Diego alleging that Kleiman hired a hitman to murder someone over an unpaid debt.

Kleiman, a Mexican citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States who previously worked and lived in San Diego, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations agents and Homeland Security Task Force partners.

During an ongoing investigation into money exchange businesses in San Diego and Imperial counties, agents identified Kleiman as a suspected money launderer. According to the complaint, Kleiman previously owned and operated a licensed money service business known as MXN Financial LLC, which was an international wholesale currency dealer and currency exchange operating within the Southern District of California. In 2025, MXN Financial LLC changed its name to MoneyFlip LLC, where Kleiman remains the CEO.

Investigators suspected that Kleiman used his business to engage in cross-border currency transactions that evaded Bank Secrecy Act filing requirements and to launder illicit proceeds from drug sales that were further placed and layered into the financial system through money service businesses near the U.S-Mexico border.

Photograph depicting supposed murder victim lying dead in a field with a banner covering his body with the Spanish phrase "Por ser Rata," which translates to "For being a thief."

In February of 2026, undercover Homeland Security Investigations agents contacted Kleiman, asking him to convert United States dollars into cryptocurrency. These undercover agents made representations to Kleiman that their dollars came from drug sales and among many statements Kleiman made indicating he understood the money's source, he said "Give me the major details. I need to know if . . .what you have is clean or if it's dirty. I mean, I don't get scared, dude."

To facilitate the illicit financial transactions, Kleiman allegedly created a unique email account, shared its password with the undercover agents, and announced that they would communicate by leaving draft emails in the account so that no emails were ever sent. In total, Kleiman converted approximately $750,000 of United States currency into cryptocurrency and caused the transmission of those crypto coins into an undercover federal agent's wallet. Kleiman charged a 10 percent fee.

During the money laundering discussions, Kleiman allegedly asked undercover federal agents if they would help recover a debt from a Mexican businessman and kill the man. Kleiman agreed to pay $40,000 to kidnap and murder the businessman, with two $5,000 "deposits" to be paid in advance.

In May 2026, Kleiman arranged for a third party to deliver a $5,000 cash "deposit" to one of the undercover agents in San Diego, the complaint said. Then, in early July of 2026, one of the undercover agents asked Kleiman for a second $5,000 deposit to "reserve the savages" and told Kleiman "whether [the victim] pays or not he will be left dead on the side of the road." Kleiman responded by telling the undercover agent, "I will get those 5 ready for you in 2-3 weeks."

According to the complaint, Kleiman later paid the second "deposit" for the murder. On July 28, 2026, the undercover agents showed Kleiman three photographs and one video purporting to show the victim captured, tortured and killed. One of the agents then told Kleiman that "they already killed the guy, so those people need to get paid." Kleiman responded, "Okay. Count on…count on it." The next day, July 29, 2026, Kleiman delivered a $5,000 cash payment to the undercover agents and transmitted approximately 25,000 USDT into an undercover cryptocurrency wallet as the final payments for the victim's murder.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Deshong and Christopher Beeler, and Daniel Casillas contributed significantly to the case.

DEFENDANT Case Number 26-MJ-4495

Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan Age: 40 Miami, Florida

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Murder-for-Hire-Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1958(a)

Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine

INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

Homeland Security Investigations

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Drug Enforcement Administration

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation

Imperial County Sheriff's Office

Brawley Police Department

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California.