Garcia brothers admit $8M crypto heist after family kidnapping

Two Texas brothers have pleaded guilty to federal robbery charges after prosecutors said they kidnapped a Minnesota family and forced the transfer of more than $8 million in cryptocurrency.

Summary

• Two Texas brothers pleaded guilty after prosecutors linked them to an $8 million crypto kidnapping and robbery.
• Victims were allegedly held at gunpoint for hours while attackers forced cryptocurrency transfers.
• CertiK reported that crypto-related kidnappings and assaults rose 75% in 2025 from the prior year.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota, Isiah Angelo Garcia and Raymond Christian Garcia entered guilty pleas on Thursday to Interference with Commerce by Robbery, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Announcing the development, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said the guilty pleas hold the defendants accountable for their actions during the armed robbery.

Prosecutors say victims were held at gunpoint for hours

Court filings cited by federal prosecutors state that the brothers traveled from Texas to Minnesota on Sept. 19, 2025, to carry out the attack. Authorities said the victim, his wife, and their son were confronted at gunpoint and forced into a prolonged ordeal designed to gain access to cryptocurrency holdings.

While the victim’s wife and son were held inside the family home for approximately nine hours, prosecutors said the victim was taken to a family cabin located roughly three hours away. There, according to the government’s account, he was compelled to transfer about $8 million in cryptocurrency from online accounts and hardware wallets.

The kidnapping began to unravel after the victim’s son managed to place 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 their plea agreements, both men admitted that firearms were used to threaten the victims during the robbery. Federal prosecutors said the defendants have also agreed to pay more than $8 million in restitution. Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.

Crypto kidnapping cases continue to rise worldwide

The case arrives as physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders become more common across multiple countries.

Security firm CertiK reported in February that crypto-related kidnappings and assaults increased by 75% in 2025 compared with the previous year. The company estimated that losses tied to such attacks reached $101 million during the first four months of 2026 alone.

Earlier this month, as reported by crypto.news, another crypto kidnapping case resulted in a guilty plea when Saif Faiq admitted to a federal conspiracy charge in Connecticut. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecutors accused Faiq and his brother, Adam Iza, of organizing a plot to abduct the parents of a crypto millionaire linked to the theft of roughly 4,100 Bitcoin.

Recent incidents have also reached prominent figures in the digital asset industry. In May, the wife of The Sandbox co-founder Sebastien Borget survived an attempted kidnapping at the couple’s home in Villenoy, France. Local authorities said suspects posing as delivery workers entered the property and tried to force her into a vehicle before neighbors intervened and disrupted the attack.

In France, authorities have introduced new prevention measures as crypto-related kidnappings continue to climb.

Speaking at Paris Blockchain Week in April, Jean-Didier Berger, France’s Minister Delegate to the Interior Minister, said a prevention platform launched by the government had already attracted thousands of sign-ups. The remarks came as officials counted 41 cryptocurrency-linked kidnapping cases across the country during the first four months of 2026, an average of one every 2.5 days.