Husband of South Florida woman carjacked and killed near Orlando charged with money laundering, federal indictment says
MIAMI — Months after a South Florida woman was carjacked, abducted and murdered in the Orlando area in what authorities believe was related to a drug trafficking ring, her husband is now facing a federal indictment.
Miguel Angel Aguasvivas Lizardo, the husband of Katherine Altagracia Guerro De Aguasvivas, is facing one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, according to federal court documents obtained by CBS News Miami.
According to the indictment, Lizardo traveled to and from Orlando "for the purpose of obtaining bulk cash, which was proceeds of the specified unlawful activity." Local and federal authorities have said the "unlawful activity" that the indictment refers to their belief in a possible drug trafficking ring with connections in Central and South Florida.
The indictment continues, stating that Lizardo served as a drug money courier for years between Orlando and Miami and other parts of South Florida for "obtaining cocaine in connection with the specified unlawful activity."
Lizardo and others would communicate with money brokers to arrange "money drops" to provide the cash to other individuals who would convert the money into cryptocurrency and then deliver it to members of a drug trafficking organization through a crypto-exchange platform, the indictment stated.
What happened to Katherine Altagracia Guerro De Aguasvivas?
Aguasvivas, Lizardo's 31-year-old wife, was carjacked during one of the trips to Orlando, which ended in her death.
On April 10, Aguasvivas was driving through a part of Winter Springs, a suburb of Orlando, when a man in a black hoodie and a Halloween mask got out of his green Acura and approached her white Dodge Durango at an intersection in the middle of the day and points a gun at her. During the carjacking, Aguasvivas was reportedly on the phone with Lizardo, who told her not to stop when she was being followed by the Acura.
He then opened the driver's side door before opening the rear driver's side door and got into the SUV. The Dodge then drives off with the Acura following it.
The entire incident was caught on camera.
Authorities said Aguasvivas' vehicle was found set ablaze in Osceola County, where they found her body.
A week after her murder, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said it had arrested Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Francisco Estrella and his wife for allegedly illegally accessing information on the investigation. Investigators said Estrella and his wife were friends of Lizardo.
During the following week, Giovanni Hernandez Crespo surrendered himself at the Seminole County Jail, where he was facing drug-related charges connected to the deadly carjacking. Investigators believe Crespo participated in the incident.
Days later, Jordanish Torres-Garcia told investigators that he was the hooded man who carjacked Aguasvivas, saying that he was paid to kidnap her and deliver her to someone.
Further details and other circumstances surrounding the murder and related activities remain under investigation.
