U.S. Extends ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization’ Sanctions to Brazil’s Gangs
The Trump administration will designate Brazil’s two largest criminal gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations effective this June, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Thursday.
Sinaloa Networks Sanctioned for Fentanyl Trafficking, Crypto Laundering
OFAC designated more than a dozen individuals and entities linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, targeting two separate networks accused of fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, including one that allegedly converted bulk U.S. drug cash into cryptocurrency for transfer to cartel leadership in Mexico.
Fighting Drug Cartels is Now Centerpiece of U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy
President Donald Trump has signed off on a new U.S. counterterrorism strategy that makes eliminating drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere the administration’s highest priority, the White House announced Wednesday.
One of Mexico’s Most Powerful Cartels is Using TikTok to Recruit Members
A network of TikTok accounts utilizing coded emojis, faction nicknames, and narco ballads are advertising the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in an apparent attempt to recruit new members for one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, according to a report released this week by social-media analysis firm Graphika.
Sinaloa Governor and 9 Others Indicted in U.S. for Alleged Cartel Roles
U.S. prosecutors charged the governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, the mayor of Culiacan, a sitting Mexican senator, and seven others with running a drug-trafficking conspiracy with the Sinaloa Cartel.
U.S. Mint Bought Gold Mined by Blacklisted Drug Cartel
The United States Mint has for years purchased gold originating from illegal mines controlled by a Colombian drug cartel, violating a federal law requiring that its coins be made from newly mined American gold.
Cannabis Reclassification Will Improve Sector’s Cash Flow, Not Banking Woes
The Trump administration’s decision to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug marks a milestone for the cannabis industry, but experts and executives say it falls well short of ending the sector’s longstanding exile from the mainstream financial system.
Trump’s Leaner DOJ is Pursuing Fewer Criminal Prosecutions, Data Shows
The Trump administration has cut more than 4,000 employees from some of the nation’s top law-enforcement agencies even as it has pledged to get tough on crime, according to U.S. Justice Department records.
U.S. Moves Against Asian Scam Centers, Sinaloa Supply Chain
U.S. officials on Wednesday struck at Southeast Asian scam compounds defrauding Americans and a global fentanyl supply chain, announcing criminal charges, sanctions, and the seizure of hundreds of fraudulent websites in a pair of coordinated enforcement actions.
Republicans Threaten FinCEN’s Budget over Corporate Transparency Rule
U.S. House Republicans are threatening to block all funding for the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) until the agency finalizes a rule requiring companies to report beneficial ownership information.