US Returns $29.7m to Curaçao in Major Money Laundering Case, Offering Asset Recovery Lessons for Africa

The United States has agreed to return approximately $29.7 million to the Government of Curaçao in a case highlighting how countries can recover proceeds of crime held in foreign jurisdictions through cross-border judicial cooperation.

According to the African Center for Governance, Asset Recovery and Sustainable Development, the funds are linked to an eight-year fraud and money laundering scheme involving an unlicensed lottery and unpaid taxes on its earnings and other income allegedly owed to the Curaçao government. The US Department of Justice is transferring the money in three instalments following court orders enforcing Curaçao’s forfeiture proceedings.

The case demonstrates how international cooperation can help governments recover assets moved abroad and prevent individuals from retaining the proceeds of financial crime.

 Curaçao Secures US Court Enforcement of Forfeiture Orders

Court documents cited by the African Center identify Robertico A. Dos Santos as the individual who orchestrated the scheme. Dos Santos was prosecuted and convicted in Curaçao.

At the request of Curaçao authorities, the US Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section obtained an order from the US District Court for the District of Columbia enforcing a pre-trial restraining order issued by a Curaçao court.

The funds had reportedly been deposited in investment accounts at a Miami bank through companies controlled by Dos Santos.

Following his conviction and sentencing in Curaçao, US authorities secured a further court order enforcing the final forfeiture order issued by the Caribbean jurisdiction.

The process enabled Curaçao to pursue the recovery of funds held in the United States without having to retry the underlying criminal case from the beginning.

Three Instalments to Facilitate Asset Return

The approximately $29.7 million is scheduled to be transferred to the Curaçao government in three instalments, according to the report.

The US Department of Justice described the return as recognition of Curaçao’s losses and its cooperation in the investigation and enforcement process.

The arrangement also illustrates the importance of continued engagement between countries throughout an asset recovery process, from the initial freezing of funds to final forfeiture and repatriation.

 Lessons for Africa’s Anti-Corruption Efforts

The case offers lessons for African governments seeking to recover public funds and other criminal proceeds held in overseas financial institutions.

The African Center noted that foreign forfeiture orders can provide a route for recovering assets without requiring the requesting country to relitigate its case in the jurisdiction holding the funds, provided the applicable legal framework permits enforcement.

The process also underscores the importance of sustained bilateral cooperation. Curaçao authorities engaged their US counterparts at two critical stages: first to restrain the assets and later to enforce the final forfeiture order.

For African countries, these steps highlight the need for effective mutual legal assistance arrangements, reliable evidence-sharing mechanisms and legal frameworks that allow domestic court orders to be recognised and enforced abroad.

Transparency Remains Critical After Recovery

The African Center also highlighted the importance of transparent and accountable arrangements for managing recovered assets.

Public reporting, auditing and clear conditions for the use of repatriated funds can help build confidence that returned money will benefit the affected government and its citizens.

The Curaçao case therefore provides a practical example of how cross-border judicial cooperation can support asset recovery, while raising broader questions about accountability and the responsible management of recovered proceeds.

As countries continue to confront money laundering and transnational financial crime, the ability to trace, restrain, confiscate and return illicit assets remains an important component of international enforcement.