Final Suspect in Desjardins Data Breach Arrested in Mexico Maxime Paquette, the last remaining suspect in the Desjardins data breach investigation, was arrested in Cancun, Mexico, on July 16. The 40-year-old had been wanted by Quebec’s Sûreté du Québec (SQ) since June 2024 as part of Project Portier and Project D, which probed the theft and resale of personal data belonging to 9.7 million Desjardins members a breach first disclosed in 2019 that impacted nearly seven million Quebecers. Paquette’s arrest marks the conclusion of the SQ’s hunt for all identified suspects in the case. Another fugitive, Juan Pablo Serrano, was detained in Spain in January 2026 and remains in custody pending extradition. Paquette faces charges in Canada, including fraud over $5,000, identity theft, and trafficking in identifying information. Authorities allege he used stolen Desjardins data between March 2018 and September 2020 to execute fraud schemes and sold compromised personal information on the dark web. The SQ has previously warned that the exposed data remains unsecured. The breach, one of Canada’s largest, involved the unauthorized access and distribution of sensitive client information, with ongoing risks of financial fraud. Paquette will remain in Mexican custody while extradition proceedings move forward.

CoinbaseCartel Claims Data Breach of Dolby Laboratories in Latest Extortion Scheme A newly emerged cybercriminal group, CoinbaseCartel, has added Dolby Laboratories to its dark web leak site, alleging a data breach over Super Bowl weekend (February 2026). The U.S.-based audio technology giant, which reported over $1.3 billion in revenue in 2025 and employs 2,000+ staff, joins a growing list of high-profile victims, including SK Telecom (South Korea’s largest mobile carrier) and Desjardins Group (Canada’s largest financial services cooperative). Despite denying ransomware operations, CoinbaseCartel’s tactics password-protecting stolen data and extorting victims via a dark web blog align with traditional ransomware cartels. The group, first observed in September 2025, previously targeted SK Telecom, threatening to leak source code after the company refused negotiations. Researchers note that some victims listed by CoinbaseCartel overlap with those claimed by other ransomware gangs, suggesting possible data recycling. Unlike typical ransomware groups, CoinbaseCartel restricts access to stolen data, likely to showcase it exclusively to potential buyers either the victim or other cybercriminals. No samples have been released to verify the breach’s severity. The group’s emergence follows a broader trend of law enforcement crackdowns, including the FBI’s seizure of the RAMP dark web forum, which has fueled distrust among cybercriminals. Dolby Laboratories has not yet responded to requests for comment. The incident underscores the persistent threat of double extortion tactics, where attackers both encrypt data and threaten to leak it unless demands are met.

Montana AG Investigates Lee Enterprises Ransomware Attack Impacting 40,000 A ransomware attack on Lee Enterprises, a Davenport, Iowa-based media company, has prompted an investigation by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen. The breach, attributed to the Qilin ransomware group, compromised the personal data of nearly 40,000 employees and subscribers earlier this year. Lee Enterprises owns multiple newspapers in Montana, including the Helena Independent Record, Billings Gazette, Missoulian, and Montana Standard, as well as dozens of other publications nationwide. While the company has not publicly detailed the extent of the exposed data, the incident marks a significant cybersecurity failure for the media organization. The Montana AG’s office confirmed the investigation on Friday, though official details had not yet been posted on its website at the time of reporting. This follows a broader trend of escalating ransomware attacks, with 2023 seeing record-high incidents and payments, according to a FinCEN report. The breach adds to a growing list of cyber incidents in 2024, including a second data exposure in seven months at Methodist Homes of Alabama and Northwest Florida and a security lapse at Virginia Urology, where purported patient data began leaking online. Meanwhile, federal authorities secured a conviction against a Nigerian national for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized computer access, underscoring the global reach of cybercrime. Lee Enterprises has not yet issued a public statement on the investigation’s status or remediation efforts.

Key Suspect in Desjardins Data Breach Arrested in Spain After 17-Month Manhunt Juan Pablo Serrano, a fugitive wanted in connection with the 2024 Desjardins data breach, was arrested in Spain on November 6, 2025, following a joint operation by Spanish authorities, Quebec provincial police, and Interpol. Serrano, 40, had been at large since June 2024 and was among Quebec’s most wanted individuals. Interpol issued a Red Notice for his arrest, enabling global law enforcement to track and detain him. He now faces extradition to Canada, where he will be charged with identity theft, fraud exceeding $5,000, and trafficking in identity information. Serrano is accused of purchasing stolen Desjardins customer data from Sébastien Boulanger-Dorval, a former Desjardins marketing employee, and using it to carry out fraud schemes. Boulanger-Dorval, 42, was arrested in 2024 and charged with fraud, identity theft, and the illegal sale of personal data—allegedly to settle debts. He was identified as the primary suspect in the breach, having exploited his access to sensitive information while employed at the financial institution.

Quebec Fugitive Arrested in Mexico Over Desjardins Data Breach A Quebec man wanted for over two years in connection with the massive Desjardins data breach has been arrested in Mexico. Maxime Paquette, 40, was taken into custody by Mexican authorities in Cancun on Thursday after being sought since June 2024. Paquette had been listed among Quebec’s most wanted fugitives. Paquette remains detained in Mexico while extradition proceedings are underway to return him to Canada, where he faces charges including fraud over $5,000, identity theft, and trafficking in identity information. The arrest stems from investigations led by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) under Portier and Project D, which probe the theft and circulation of personal data from the Desjardins breach one of Canada’s largest privacy violations. The breach, occurring between 2017 and 2019, exposed the personal information of nearly 10 million Desjardins members and clients. The SQ credited Mexican authorities, Interpol, the RCMP, Quebec City police, and other international partners for their role in the arrest.

Quebec Fugitive Arrested in Mexico Over Desjardins Data Breach Fraud Mexican authorities have arrested Maxime Paquette, a 40-year-old fugitive wanted by Quebec provincial police (Sûreté du Québec, SQ) in connection with the 2019 Desjardins data breach. Paquette, one of Quebec’s most wanted individuals, was detained in Cancún and will remain in custody while extradition proceedings move forward for his return to Canada. Paquette faces multiple charges under the Criminal Code, including fraud exceeding $5,000, identity theft, and trafficking in identifying information. According to the SQ, he obtained and exploited Desjardins customer data from the 2019 breach, which exposed sensitive information including names, addresses, birth dates, social insurance numbers (SINs), and transaction habits of nearly 9.7 million Canadians. Between June 27 and June 30, 2021, Paquette was found in possession of stolen Desjardins data and allegedly sold it to multiple individuals and on the dark web. The SQ collaborated with Mexican authorities, Quebec’s public prosecution service, Interpol, and other international partners to secure the arrest. The 2019 Desjardins breach remains one of Canada’s largest data leaks, with long-term implications for affected customers. Paquette’s extradition and prosecution mark a significant development in the ongoing investigation.

Final Suspect in Desjardins Data Breach and Fraud Scheme Arrested in Mexico The last fugitive in the multimillion-dollar fraud and data theft case involving Desjardins customers has been apprehended. Maxime Paquette, one of Quebec’s most-wanted suspects, was arrested in Cancún, Mexico, in a joint operation by the Mexican Navy and the Mexican Criminal Investigation Agency. He remains in Mexican custody pending extradition to Canada, where he faces charges including fraud over $5,000, identity theft, and trafficking of identities. The 2019 Desjardins data breach compromised the personal information of 9.7 million clients, which was later sold to cybercriminals for fraudulent schemes. Paquette is accused of using stolen Desjardins customer data obtained between March 2018 and September 2020 to conduct fraud and distribute the information on the dark web. Authorities also linked him to the possession of confidential Desjardins customer data exposed in the 2019 breach. Paquette’s arrest follows a two-year international manhunt involving Mexican authorities, the RCMP, and Interpol. His capture comes after the 2024 arrests of several other suspects in the SQ’s Portier investigation, including the alleged mastermind a former Desjardins marketing employee. Another fugitive, Juan Pablo Serrano, was arrested in Spain in November 2025. Investigations revealed systemic failures at Desjardins, with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and Quebec’s Commission d’accès à l’information concluding in 2020 that the financial institution had neglected critical security weaknesses. The breach went undetected for over two years before police alerted Desjardins in 2019. Meanwhile, Laval police continue to search for a remaining suspect, Nassim Alikacem, in connection with the misuse of stolen data.