Juan Pablo Serrano, who has been sought since June 2024 in connection with a significant breach of Desjardins data, was apprehended in Spain, as per a news release issued by Quebec provincial police on Tuesday. The arrest of Serrano took place on the evening of November 6, 2025, following a collaborative effort between Spanish authorities, provincial police, and Interpol, the release stated.
Serrano, a high-priority fugitive in Quebec, is wanted by the financial crimes and cybercrime investigation unit as part of Project Portier, a major probe into the Desjardins data breach. The investigation was initiated after it was discovered that the personal information of millions of Desjardins Group members had been compromised.
To track down Serrano overseas, provincial police indicated that Interpol issued a red notice, requesting law enforcement globally to locate and apprehend him for extradition. Serrano is presently in custody in Spain, and once extradited to Canada, he will face charges of identity theft, fraud exceeding $5,000, and trafficking in identity information.
In June 2024, provincial police shared details online about the 40-year-old fugitive, alleging that he obtained lists of data belonging to Desjardins members and customers through an accomplice, Sébastien Boulanger-Dorval, and engaged in various fraudulent activities using the compromised data. Boulanger-Dorval, who was arrested that same month, faced charges of fraud, identity theft, illegal possession and sale of personal information, and computer fraud.
Boulanger-Dorval, the main suspect in the investigation, was employed by Desjardins in a marketing role at the time of the breach and purportedly sold the leaked data to settle debts. The public was made aware of the Desjardins data breach in 2019, although authorities were only informed in December 2018. The breach at the Quebec-based credit union is believed to be one of the largest ever among Canadian financial institutions, impacting around 9.7 million individuals and businesses.
The operation to locate and arrest Serrano was lauded by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Tuesday, attributing its success to the cooperation of national and international partners, including the U.S. Secret Service Ottawa Field Office and the Madrid Resident Office. Desjardins expressed satisfaction with the arrest in an emailed statement to CBC News, emphasizing its ongoing collaboration with law enforcement and the identity protection services available to its members and clients.