Pill-Popping and Pimping: Why Epstein & Friends Were the Subject of 40 SARs
The DEA opened a secret investigation into Jeffrey Epstein in 2015 on suspicions of money laundering, drug trafficking, and running a prostitution ring that procured Eastern European women for high-profile clients.
UAE Weighs Iran Asset Freezes in Response to Drone and Missile Attacks
The United Arab Emirates is considering freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in the Gulf state, a move that could sharply restrict Tehran’s access to foreign currency and global trade networks.
The Caribbean Supply Chain that Laundered Conflict-Tainted Venezuelan Gold
More than 70 metric tons of Venezuelan gold worth over $2.2 billion were routed through Curaçao and refined in Switzerland between 2012 and 2018, despite evidence the metal originated in conflict-affected mining areas in Venezuela.
U.S. Treasury Eases Restrictions on Russian Oil Sales as Crude Costs Rise
The United States is temporarily easing sanctions on Russian oil sales to India with a 30-day waiver aimed at preventing supply shortages and cushioning a sharp rise in crude prices after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
SEC Drops Its Case Against Crypto Investor Justin Sun
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is dropping its civil-fraud case against crypto billionaire and World Liberty Financial investor Justin Sun.
Ukrainian Agency Missed Signs of Halushchenko’s Money Laundering: TI
Kyiv’s assets-declaration watchdog missed multiple red flags in the filings of former Ukrainian energy minister Herman Halushchenko, according to Transparency International Ukraine.
Future of U.S. Crypto Bill in Doubt as Calendar Becomes ‘Enemy’
Efforts to pass proposed landmark legislation for the U.S. crypto market have stalled to the point that some question whether the measure could still get passed this year, even with White House support.
Ex-Star CEO Faces Millions in Fines for AML Lapses
Star Entertainment’s ex-chief executive Matthias Bekier and former in-house lawyer Paula Martin breached their directors’ duties during the casino operator’s “Chinese money-laundering era”, the Australian Federal Court found.
AI Increasingly Used to Dodge Economic and Trade Sanctions
Artificial intelligence is making sanctions and export-control evasion schemes harder to detect by enabling the creation of realistic fake companies and phony documentation used to obviate international trade restrictions.
Ex-Banco Master Chief Bribed Regulators, Accessed FBI Data: Report
Banco Master SA’s former chief executive Daniel Vorcaro was returned to custody for a second time in roughly three months as a widening probe into the collapsed lender added allegations of threats, intimidation, and illegal access to sensitive law-enforcement data.