DOJ | Certain Risk

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.

Photograph of The Swedbank office building in Tartu, Estonia, on 18 July 2024. — “Swedbank in Tartu Estonia” by Tony Webster, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/54584627298/), licensed under CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/).

U.S. Justice Department Closes Swedbank Case without Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its anti-money laundering (AML) investigation into Swedbank AG without bringing an enforcement action, according to the Swiss lender.

TD Bank local branch location. — “MTA Flatbush South 76 - TD Bank” by Tdorante10, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MTA_Flatbush_South_76_-_TD_Bank.jpg Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Ex-TD Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Helping Launder $474 Million

A former TD Bank employee pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder monetary instruments after prosecutors said he used his position to help a money-laundering network move hundreds of millions of dollars through the institution.

Maduro wearing blackout sunglasses and hearing protection.

DOJ Quietly Drops Claim Maduro-Led ‘Terrorist’ Group Exists

Amid all of the spectacle that has come with the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, federal prosecutors have quietly amended a key claim they leveled against the South American leader last year. They no longer assert that the drug-trafficking organization he allegedly led—“Cartel de los Soles”—really exists.

Two hands shaking, passing money between them.

How the Trump Administration Upended White-Collar Prosecutions in 2025

Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has marked a stark shift in white-collar crime enforcement, with federal prosecutors and investigators stepping back from complex foreign-bribery, money-laundering, and corruption cases, The Wall Street Journal reported.

TD Bank branch. — Image: “TD Bank, Chinatown, DC” by Matthew Bisanz, via Wikimedia Commons (original: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TD_Bank,_Chinatown,_DC_by_Matthew_Bisanz.JPG), licensed under a Creative Commons license as specified on the original file page. Image has been edited from the original.

Chinese American Ex-Employees Sue TD Bank Over Money Laundering Fallout

A group of former Chinese American employees has filed a class-action lawsuit against Toronto-Dominion Bank in the United States, alleging they were unjustly fired after being linked to a major money laundering scandal involving Chinese money brokers and Mexican drug cartels, the Financial Post reported.

The Dubai Skyline — “Vartankelechian photos20” (Nov. 20, 2016) by Vartino79, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Edited from the original

DOJ Probing Dubai-Based Iranian Oil Tycoon’s Global Banking Web

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether Iranian oil tycoon Hossein Shamkhani violated sanctions while using a global network of banks, according to Bloomberg.

Alex Acosta shaking hands with President Donald Trump in front of a gaggle of reporters. — Alex Acosta

Emails Show Dirty-Money Probe of Epstein, Contradicting Testimony of Ex-Trump Official

Federal prosecutors examined Jeffrey Epstein for money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in 2007, according to emails from the deceased sex trafficker’s personal Yahoo account obtained by Bloomberg.

Empty podium at the Justice Department with DOJ seal visible, Lady Justice stands to the left.

Ex-Director of U.S. Defense Contractor Pleads Guilty to Selling Trade Secrets

A former director at Trenchant, an L3Harris Technologies subsidiary that develops offensive cyber tools, pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing and reselling trade secrets worth $35 million to a Russian broker whose clients include the Russian government, Bloomberg reported.

Changpeng Zhao (CZ) speaking at a conference. — Photo: “2022 – Q&A PO1 4621 (52471974406)” by Web Summit (photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Web Summit via Sportsfile), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 (CC BY 2.0). Source: Wikimedia Commons, File: 2022 – Q&A PO1 4621 (52471974406). Changes: edited for publication

Trump Pardons Binance Founder Changpeng Zhao

President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the founder of Binance, after months of behind-the-scenes efforts by Zhao and his allies to secure clemency.