Leonardo Rafael Montbrun Álvarez, a 37-year-old Venezuelan entrepreneur, transitioned from being a rising star in the Latin American fintech ecosystem to facing federal charges in the United States for crimes including money laundering, bank fraud, computer crimes, and material support to a foreign terrorist organization, according to court documents from the District of Nebraska.
Montbrun was arrested on December 9, 2025, in Omaha, Nebraska, as part of a sealed indictment that identifies him as one of the 23 alleged members and collaborators of the Tren de Aragua criminal network, designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the U.S.
Origins and Early Ventures
Born on August 23, 1988, in Guatire or La Guaira, Venezuela, Montbrun had a youth marked by sports — he was a karate athlete — before venturing into business.
His initial steps were in the tourism sector with Viajes Montbrun y Asociados, a travel agency in Venezuela. He later expanded his activities into financial services and investments, moving between Venezuela, Panama, Spain, and Asia, according to commercial records and corporate materials.
In 2017, he founded Montbrun Private Capital, registered in Singapore, which was promoted as an investment firm focusing on artificial intelligence and advanced financial services.
Shasta: Rise and Fall
The project that garnered him the most visibility was Shasta, a digital payments and cryptocurrency platform launched in 2019, which gained traction among Venezuelan users amid currency controls and informal dollarization.
The growth was quick, but so was the collapse. Shasta became embroiled in fraud, scam, and money laundering allegations, with formal complaints in Spain and questions surrounding the source and management of funds. Users reported significant losses and a lack of transparency.
In 2022, unverified rumors emerged about a possible arrest of Montbrun in Dubai for money laundering, information that was never officially confirmed, but it contributed to his exit from the public eye.
Personal Downfall and Low Profile in the U.S.
After Shasta’s collapse, Montbrun vanished from the fintech scene. Close sources indicate that he faced severe financial issues and initiated a divorce in 2021 in Florida, during which he took on low-profile jobs in the United States, including delivery work and personal care roles.
For several years, he avoided public appearances and interviews, while scrutiny about his business past intensified.
Reappearance and “Rebirth” Narrative
In June 2025, Montbrun resurfaced on social media and digital events with a speech on personal reinvention, presenting financial education projects such as:
La Tribu, a digital community with both paid and free investment content.
Traderland, a beta-phase video game focused on learning about financial markets.
At that time, he spoke of “mistakes,” “lessons learned,” and “resilience,” without mentioning ongoing legal investigations.
The Federal Charges
Months after his public reappearance, Montbrun was arrested in Nebraska. The federal indictment labels him as part of a transnational criminal conspiracy linked to Tren de Aragua, which reportedly is involved in:
Cyberattacks on ATMs (ATM jackpotting)
Bank fraud and computer crimes
Laundering over $5.4 million
Providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization
The dossier also documents indirect financial ties to structures associated with the Cartel de los Soles and contacts with intermediaries connected to the family of Venezuelan Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, according to sources familiar with the case. No direct charges have been filed against these family members.
Legal Situation
Montbrun Álvarez faces charges under Title 18 of the U.S. Code and is subject to total asset forfeiture allegedly obtained illicitly. As of now, there is no sentence and he maintains the presumption of innocence.
His case has become an example of how fintech ventures, cryptocurrencies, and transnational networks can converge — according to prosecutors — with structures of organized crime and terrorism, in a context of criminal migration and regional institutional weakening.