US Fugitive Involved In Crypto Scheme To Aid North Korea Arrested In Spain, Faces 20-Year Term
Alejandro Cao de Benos, a Spanish aristocrat, has been detained by Spanish authorities over accusations of operating a cryptocurrency scheme to assist North Korea in evading international sanctions. He is alleged to have enlisted the help of Ethereum researcher Virgil Griffith, who was sentenced to over five years by a US court in 2022 for his involvement in the scheme. De Benos was arrested based on an FBI warrant issued by Interpol and is denying the allegations. The US now needs to formalize an extradition request. If convicted, de Benos could face up to 20 years in prison. The case comes as the global cryptocurrency market has grown significantly, exceeding $1.5 trillion in market capitalization, led by Bitcoin with a $814 billion share.
