Juan Pablo Serrano, sought since June 2024 in connection with a significant data breach at Desjardins, was apprehended in Spain, as per a news release issued by Quebec provincial police on Tuesday. The arrest took place on the evening of Nov. 6, 2025, following a collaborative effort involving Spanish authorities, provincial police, and Interpol.
Serrano, one of Quebec’s most wanted fugitives, is a target of the financial crimes and cyber crime investigation unit within Project Portier, an extensive probe into the Desjardins data breach. This investigation was initiated after it was discovered that confidential information belonging to millions of Desjardins Group members had been illicitly shared with external individuals.
To track down Serrano overseas, Interpol issued a red notice, urging law enforcement globally to locate and apprehend him for extradition. Serrano is currently in custody in Spain and is set to face three charges upon extradition to Canada: 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 had obtained lists of Desjardins members’ and customers’ data through an accomplice, Sébastien Boulanger-Dorval. They further accused Serrano of orchestrating various fraudulent activities using the compromised Desjardins data.
During that same period, Boulanger-Dorval was arrested and charged with fraud, identity theft, illegal possession and sale of personal information, and computer-related fraud. Boulanger-Dorval was identified as the main suspect in the investigation, having worked in Desjardins’ marketing team at the time of the breach and purportedly selling the leaked data to settle debts.
The Desjardins data breach, disclosed to the public in 2019 but only brought to authorities’ attention in December 2018, is believed to be one of the largest breaches among Canadian financial institutions, impacting around 9.7 million individuals and businesses. The successful apprehension of Serrano was highlighted by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Tuesday, attributing it to the cooperation between national and international partners, including the U.S. Secret Service Ottawa Field Office and the Madrid Resident Office.
Desjardins, in a statement to CBC News, expressed satisfaction with the arrest and reiterated its commitment to collaborating with law enforcement. The financial institution emphasized its dedication to providing identity protection services to its members and clients.