Juan Pablo Serrano, who had been sought since June 2024 in connection with a significant data breach at Desjardins, was apprehended in Spain, as announced by Quebec provincial police on Tuesday. The arrest, which occurred on the evening of Nov. 6, 2025, was the result of a coordinated effort involving Spanish authorities, provincial police, and Interpol.
Serrano, one of Quebec’s most wanted fugitives, is being pursued by the financial crimes and cyber crime investigation division as part of Project Portier, a large-scale probe into the Desjardins data breach. The investigation was launched following the revelation that the personal data of numerous Desjardins Group members had been compromised and shared with external parties.
To locate Serrano overseas, Interpol issued a red notice, prompting law enforcement globally to detain him pending extradition. Currently held in Spain, Serrano will be extradited to Canada to face charges including identity theft, fraud exceeding $5,000, and trafficking in identity information.
In June 2024, provincial police disclosed details about the 40-year-old fugitive online, alleging that he had acquired lists of data belonging to Desjardins members and customers through another individual, Sébastien Boulanger-Dorval, and had engaged in various fraudulent activities involving Desjardins data. Boulanger-Dorval, who was arrested that same month, faced charges of fraud, identity theft, illegal possession and sale of personal information, and using a computer for fraudulent purposes.
Boulanger-Dorval was identified as the primary suspect in the investigation. He had been employed in Desjardins’ marketing team at the time of the breach and purportedly sold the leaked data in order to settle debts.
The Desjardins data breach, disclosed to the public in 2019, came to authorities’ attention in December 2018. It is considered one of the largest breaches among Canadian financial institutions, impacting approximately 9.7 million individuals and businesses.
The successful operation to locate and apprehend Serrano was highlighted by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Tuesday, underscoring the collaboration among national and international partners, including the U.S. Secret Service Ottawa Field Office and the Madrid Resident Office.
Desjardins, in an email statement to CBC News, expressed satisfaction with the arrest and reiterated its cooperation with authorities, emphasizing the identity protection services available to its members and clients.