Illicit Finance | Certain Risk

Football match between Banfield and Platense. Players are on the pitch. — Image credit: Adapted from “The Estadio Florencio Sola during a match between Banfield and Platense (2023)” by Vincenzo.togni, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Estadio_Florencio_Sola_during_a_match_between_Banfield_and_Platense_(2023).jpg, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Changes were made.

Argentine Police Raid Football Association and Dozens of Clubs in Dirty-Money Probe

Federal police raided the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and more than 30 soccer clubs as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering involving a key sponsor of the game, CNN said.

Oil painting of a smiling Cesar Duarte Jaquez. — Image credit: Adapted from “César Duarte Jáquez.jpg” by Gobernadores Chihuahua, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:C%C3%A9sar_Duarte_J%C3%A1quez.jpg, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Changes were made.

Mexico Ex-Governor Duarte Expected to Face Money Laundering Charges

Mexican federal authorities have taken former Chihuahua governor César Duarte back into custody, preparing to charge him with laundering public funds allegedly diverted while he was in office, according to the Associated Press.

A sniper spotter with Battle Group Poland looking through a scope during training.

Israel’s Elbit Systems Suspended by NATO Agency Amid Corruption Probe

Israel’s largest defense company, Elbit Systems, has been suspended by NATO’s procurement arm and barred from bidding for work amid a widening corruption investigation into alleged bribery around military contracts.

Black and white photograph of a young boy working a field in Darfur Sudan.

U.S. Targets Alleged Financial Network Tied to Colombian Mercenaries in Sudan

The United States has imposed sanctions on four individuals and four companies it says helped recruit, pay and deploy Colombian mercenaries to fight for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Foreign Secretary David Lammy speaking to the press in from of a sign reading "NCA: National Crime Agency" — Image credit: “2025 07 22 Foreign Secretary David Lammy at NCA, London, with DG Rob Jones (54671721188)” by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2025_07_22_Foreign_Secretary_David_Lammy_at_NCA,_London,_with_DG_Rob_Jones_(54671721188).jpg, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

UK to Take on Dirty Money with AI, Facilitator Crackdown

The UK government is taking aim at corrupt bankers, lawyers, and accountants and deploying new tech tools to identify dirty money as part of a new strategy to root out tens of billions in illicit funds entering the country each year.

Western Union Money Transfer sign. — mage credit: Adapted from “Western Union Money Transfer – a conduit for remittances” by Richard Allaway, via Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/16287002@N00/6845522191, licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). Changes were made.

In U.S. Migrant Crackdown, a Renewed Focus on Cross-Border Remittances

The United States is tightening its oversight of the tens of billions of dollars resident and undocumented migrants send home each year through Western Union, MoneyGram, and other money services businesses (MSBs), according to a recent U.S. Treasury Department warning.

Standard Chartered signage on exterior of building. — Image credit: Adapted from “HK Central 中環政府山 - 炮台里 Pattery Path Dec 2018 SSG 05” by WOINGA Famoied ORBELELM, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HK_Central_%E4%B8%AD%E7%92%B0%E6%94%BF%E5%BA%9C%E5%B1%B1_-_%E7%82%AE%E5%8F%B0%E9%87%8C_Pattery_Path_Dec_2018_SSG_05.jpg, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made.

Standard Chartered Settles £1.5bn Lawsuit Over Sanctions Liability

Standard Chartered has settled a £1.5-billion investor lawsuit in London that alleged the bank downplayed the scale of its Iran sanctions breaches and misled shareholders about its compliance controls, the Financial Times said.

Seven women on a stage wearing sashes with their home countries written on them during the Miss Universe pageant. — Image credit: Adapted from “Miss Universe 2007 rehearsals 6” by Greg Doyle, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miss_Universe_2007_rehearsals_6.jpg, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 Generic (CC BY 1.0). Changes were made.

Mexico Freezes Funds of Miss Universe Co-Owner in Organized-Crime Probe

Mexico’s anti-money laundering unit has frozen the bank accounts of Raúl Rocha Cantú, the Mexican co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, as authorities investigate alleged links to drug, fuel and arms trafficking, the Associated Press reported.

Santander to Pay €22.5 Million to Settle French Tax Fraud Case

Spanish lender Santander has agreed to pay €22.5 million ($26.18 million) to settle a long-running tax fraud case in France, bringing to a close an investigation that began more than a decade ago, according to Reuters.

Exterior plaza of People's Bank of China — Image credit: Adapted from “People's Bank of China 20160428 092840” by David290, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:People%27s_Bank_of_China_20160428_092840.jpg, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Changes were made.

China Signals Crypto Crackdown, Flags Stablecoins

China’s central bank has restated its hard line on cryptocurrencies, warning that a renewed wave of speculation is testing regulators and vowing tougher action against illegal activities involving stablecoins, according to Reuters.