Data theft at Desjardins | One of the main suspects arrested in Spain
Spain arrested in November Juan Pablo Serrano, one of the fugitives that the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) was looking for as part of Operation Portier on the massive theft of data at Desjardins, we learned The Press.
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“The suspect was located and arrested on the evening of November 6, 2025 thanks to a joint operation between the Spanish authorities, the SQ and Interpol, which had issued a red notice to him to facilitate his international location,” specifies the Quebec police in a press release issued after questions from The Press to the authorities on this subject.
Serrano was among the most wanted criminals in Quebec. He remains detained in Spain for the moment while extradition procedures begin.
A repeat fraudster, he now faces new charges of fraud, identity theft and trafficking in identifying information, in connection with the theft of data at Desjardins.
The SQ is still looking for his alleged accomplice Maxime Paquette. During a series of arrests made as part of Operation Porter in 2024, police and prosecutors claimed he was in Mexico.
In 2024, the police announced the arrest of a series of people who would be responsible for the theft of data on 9.7 million Desjardins customers. Among them, ex-employee Sébastien Boulanger-Dorval, who allegedly exfiltrated the data.
The SQ had also arrested several people in the Quebec region who allegedly bought, then used, the stolen data, including brokers Mathieu Joncas and François Baillargeon-Bouchard. Jean-Loup Leullier-Masse, Charles Bernier and Laurence Bernier were also accused.
The SQ is still looking for his alleged accomplice Maxime Paquette. During a series of arrests made as part of Operation Porter in 2024, police and prosecutors claimed he was in Mexico.
Police say the Ottawa Field Office and the Madrid Resident Office of the US Secret Service contributed to the operation. These American services are responsible in particular for investigating fraud involving credit and debit cards and identity theft.
More details to come
With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, The Press
