AML | Certain Risk

“Senator Amy Klobuchar speaking to journalists at the Heartland Forum in Storm Lake, Iowa” (uploaded March 31, 2019) by Lorie Shaull — used under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (CC BY 2.0). This image has been modified (edited from the original).

Bill Would Take on Criminals Seeking to Circumvent AML Laws

Two U.S. senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill that would subject informal-value transfers and blank checks to anti-financial crime laws and strengthen the hand of prosecutors pursuing money-laundering charges.

An exterior shot of Brazil's Finance Ministry — “Fotos produzidas pelo Senado (35452533366).jpg” (Prédio do Ministério da Fazenda), Senado Federal (photo credit: Pillar Pedreira/Agência Senado), 23 June 2017, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Brazil Looks to Close Two Loopholes Used to Dodge Asset Freezes

Brazil’s Finance Ministry has urged the country’s central bank to tighten regulation around pooled and escrow accounts that authorities say are being used by bad actors to circumvent asset freezes, according to Reuters.

Party boats at anchor in Grand Turk harbour. In the background is the wreck of the Mega One Triton, grounded in 2002 during hurrican e Sandy.

A Landmark Turks-and-Caicos Trial Ends in Conviction of Ex-Premier

A massive corruption trial that spanned a decade ended last week in Turks and Caicos with the convictions of the jurisdiction’s former premier, his brother, and a one-time governmental minister, the Miami Herald said.

EU’s New AML Supervisor Set for Full Launch in 2028

The European Union’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority said it is on track to become fully operational in 2028, setting out a multi-year plan that flags emerging illicit-finance threats ranging from crypto-assets to “novel payment channels.”

A 2019 photo of Francisco de Borbon von Hardenberg. — “Francisco de Borbon von Hardenberg.jpg” by Jeremiae, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Edited from the original.

Spain’s Top Economic-Crimes Cop and Royal Scion Accused of Running Drug Ring

A Spanish police corruption investigation has widened into a narcotics and money-laundering scandal that links a senior economic-crimes investigator and a son of the Duke of Seville to an international drug-trafficking ring, The Times reported.

Exterior shot of a TD Bank branch. "Let's invest in you."

How Poor AML Controls Can Turn Even a Teller into a Prolific Money Launderer

A recent guilty plea by a former TD Bank teller who helped move millions in suspicious funds through the U.S. banking system is an illustration of how easily things can go wrong when frontline staff face few internal anti-money laundering (AML) controls, according to a new report by the American Banker.

Photo of a sign in Venezuela for the oil company PDVSA. — “PDVSA 5 de Julio” by Wilfredor (2009), Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Edited from the original. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PDVSA_5_de_Julio.jpg License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Secret Audio Recording Catches Launderers Discussing How to Hide PDVSA Loot

Secret audio recorded in Madrid in 2017 captures “shadow bankers” laying out a plan to launder millions of dollars tied to corruption at Venezuela’s state oil company, including a proposed bond swap designed to evade anti-money laundering controls

Photo of Deutsche Bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. — “FRA Deutsche Bank.jpg” — Nordenfan, via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) — Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FRA_Deutsche_Bank.jpg

Deutsche Bank Raid Focused on Same Years as Earlier BVI Probe

German authorities raided Deutsche Bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt and a separate office in Berlin as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Banco Santander, Punta Arenas at the south corner of Plaza Muñoz Gamero (also known as Plaza de Armas) at the junction of Avenidas 21 de Mayo and Pantano. — Robert Cutts, “Banco Santander, Punta Arenas” (2015), Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/panr/17020952200/ (edited from the original: cropped and text/graphics added). License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Santander Fined Over €40mn for AML Violations at Digital Unit

Banco Santander has been fined more than €40 million by Spain’s anti-money laundering (AML) watchdog Sepblac for past shortcomings in internal processes at its digital unit.

Groundbreaking ceremony of a new hanger at the Pleasanton Airport in Pleasanton Texas, on May 28, 2025. The Master of Ceremonies is Ernie Gonzalez, Jr., and the speakers include Pleasanton City Manager Johnny Huizar, Pleasanton Airport Director J.J. Roberts, Cope Engineering Vice President Brian M. Cope, P.E., U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) Community Programs Director in Texas Michael Canales, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Pleasanton Mayor J.R. Gallegos. After speaking they took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. In 2022 U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $1,061,000 in federal funding for the construction of two additional hangars at the Pleasanton Municipal Airport. The hangars will meet the growing aviation storage demand required by recreational and commercial customers as well as providing storage space for the local Air Life helicopter's support teams. Congressman Henry Cuellar said “Investments into rural communities and local infrastructure projects like these have far-reaching economic impacts and benefits. I applaud the City of Pleasanton and its leadership for taking advantage of the available federal funding opportunities and I look forward to continue working with them.” “We are very excited about this new addition to the city’s airport,” said Pleasanton City Manager Johnny Huizar. “These new airport hangars will fund themselves with revenue generated from aircraft lease fees.” The financed amount was later increased by $656,000 for a current total of $1,717,000. The funds were awarded through the United States Department of Agriculture’s USDA's Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. More than 100 types of projects are eligible for Community Facilities funding. Eligible applicants include municipalities, public bodies, nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Native American tribes. Projects must be in rural areas. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.

Brother of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar Hit with Federal Fraud Charges

A Texas sheriff who is the brother of U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar is facing federal fraud charges following allegations that he ran a fraudulent business using public funds and staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, The Texas Tribune reported.