Social Media Influencer Arrested In Colombia After Her Lavish Posts Revealed Money Laundering Scheme
A social media influencer has been arrested after her pictures depicting a life of luxury tipped Colombian police to her father’s money laundering scheme, reports The Daily Mail.
Jenny Ambuila, 26, a University of Miami graduate, was no stranger to flaunting her wealth. With an Instagram page that paraded shopping trips to stores such as Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana, the aspiring entrepreneur had lavish spending habits.
Under the handle “jennylifestyler,” Ambuila claimed her passions were finance, travel, and fashion. Her Instagram often featured trips to exotic locations, dining at exclusive restaurants, and her two expensive sports cars. Ambuila owned both a Porsche Cayenne as well as a red Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, which retails for over $300,000.
She had amassed nearly 11,000 followers.
However, her social media activities soon attracted the attention of the Colombian authorities, who questioned how the daughter of a mid-level customs officer could afford such a lavish lifestyle.
Ambuila’s father, Omar, worked as the head of the Internal Work Group of Cargo Control of the Dian and made a monthly salary of $3,000, according to Spanish newspaper El Tiempo. It was a post he held for 27 years.
However, in 2012, Mr. Ambuila began to accept bribes to smuggle items through the port of Buenaventura. The Daily Mail reported that Andres Jimenez, a Colombian prosecutor, estimates that the Ambuilas pocked over $600,000 in bribes.
“This is a fundamental case in our fight against smuggling. We are going after all of this corrupt structure, and the resources behind them. The amount of money that smuggling moves in this country is huge. We are hoping this investigation goes all the way to the top.”
With the help of U.S. authorities, Colombian investigators had been gathering evidence against the Ambuilas for over a year.
Influencer arrested in Colombia probe after her Instagram posts tipped off authorities to her family's 'money laundering scheme' https://t.co/zzSAlKcaJN pic.twitter.com/YqGfGvcf8F
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 2, 2019
Omar Ambuila and his wife are currently in prison on charges of corruption and aiding smugglers. Jenny, meanwhile, is under house arrest in Colombia. Her Instagram profile has since been changed to private.
When asked by authorities about her finances, Miss Ambuila claimed that she paid for the items with her businesses, which included an ice cream shop and forex trading service. Though Jimenez conceded that she had set up the two companies, he denied the idea that they could have covered her spending habits.
“They did not make enough earnings to afford her that type of lifestyle,” he said.
Jimenez is one of a number of prosecutors and other members of law enforcement who are working hard to crack down on smuggling. The practice, which has always been a problem, has flourished in the wake of Venezuela’s economic implosion.
