Alejandro Cao De Benós: The Western Link To North Korea's Crypto Operations

According to Bloomberg, Alejandro Cao de Benós, a resident of Tarragona, Spain, and an IT consultant by profession, is the primary contact for Westerners interested in doing business with North Korea. He serves as a semi-official spokesperson for the regime, acting as a cultural attaché and enthusiast. Cao de Benós is also the founder and overseer of the Korean Friendship Association, a global fan club for North Korea. In April 2022, American crypto researcher Virgil Griffith was targeted by the FBI. Christopher Emms, a British crypto entrepreneur and member of the British chapter of the Korean Friendship Association, was also targeted for helping to organize a conference. Despite US authorities' best efforts, they have not been able to apprehend a major player. Griffith's sentence is seen as a demonstration of some success, given their inability to achieve much in other areas, according to Christopher Green, a senior Korea consultant. Cao de Benós, who denies most negative facts about North Korea, admits that capital punishment exists in the country. However, security experts argue that the information shared at the conference was already known to the North Koreans. Pyongyang has reportedly stolen billions of dollars through crypto heists since at least 2017. The extent to which Cao de Benós is 'wanted' remains unclear. His passport is currently held by Spanish authorities due to an eight-year-old illegal firearms charge. Despite this, Cao de Benós claims that the Americans have withdrawn their extradition request. He remains defiant, stating that his victory in this first battle against the US indicates that he is on the right path and should not falter, regardless of what lies ahead.