Two Texas brothers pleaded guilty to federal robbery charges after prosecutors said they kidnapped a family in Minnesota and forced them to transfer more than $8 million in cryptocurrency.
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- Two Texas brothers pleaded guilty after prosecutors linked them to the kidnapping and theft of $8 million worth of cryptocurrency.
- The victims were allegedly held at gunpoint for hours while the attackers forced them to transfer cryptocurrencies.
- CertiK reported that cryptocurrency-related kidnappings and assaults rose 75% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Isiah Angelo Garcia and Raymond Christian Garcia entered Guilty allegations Thursday for interference with commerce by theft, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Announcing this development, US Attorney Daniel Rosen said that the guilty plea holds the defendants responsible for their actions during the armed robbery.
Prosecutors say the victims were held at gunpoint for hours
Court filings cited by federal prosecutors state The brothers traveled from Texas to Minnesota on September 19, 2025 to carry out the attack. Authorities said the victim, his wife and their son were confronted at gunpoint and forced to go through a lengthy ordeal aimed at gaining access to cryptocurrency holdings.
While the victim’s wife and son were detained inside the family home for approximately nine hours, prosecutors said the victim was taken to a family cabin located approximately three hours away. There, according to the government’s calculation, he had to transfer about $8 million in cryptocurrencies from online accounts and hardware wallets.
The kidnapping began to unravel after the victim’s son was able to make an emergency call. Washington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the report and later recovered a rifle and a shotgun. Investigators also relied on surveillance footage and other evidence that prosecutors said linked the brothers to the crime.
In a plea agreement, the two men admitted to using firearms to threaten the victims during the robbery. The defendants also agreed to pay more than $8 million in restitution, federal prosecutors said. Judging dates have not yet been announced.
Cases of cryptocurrency hijacking continue to rise around the world
This case arrives at a time when physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders are becoming more common across many countries.
Security company CertiK I mentioned In February, cryptocurrency-related kidnappings and assaults increased by 75% in 2025 compared to the previous year. The company estimated that losses associated with such attacks amounted to $101 million during the first four months of 2026 alone.
Earlier this month, as I mentioned By crypto.news Another cryptocurrency kidnapping case led to a guilty plea when Saif Faiq pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge in Connecticut. According to the US Department of Justice, prosecutors charged Faiq and his brother, Adam Iza, with organizing a plot to kidnap the parents of a cryptocurrency millionaire linked to the theft of approximately 4,100 bitcoins.
Recent events have also reached prominent figures in the digital asset industry. In May, the wife of Sébastien Bourget, one of the founders of The Sandbox He survived Attempted kidnapping at the couple’s home in Villignoy, France. Local authorities said the suspects, who posed as delivery workers, entered the property and tried to force her into a car before neighbors intervened and disrupted the attack.
In France, authorities have taken new preventive measures as cryptocurrency-related kidnappings continue to rise.
Speaking during Blockchain Week in Paris in April, Jean-Didier Berger, French Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Interior, said: Prevention platform The campaign launched by the government has already attracted thousands of subscriptions. These statements came as officials counted 41 cases of cryptocurrency-related kidnapping across the country during the first four months of 2026, an average of one case every 2.5 days.
