U.S. Oversight of MSBs is Weakest in Years as Crypto Usage Surges
Cryptocurrency usage is surging in the United States. You wouldn’t know that from the number of federal examiners tasked with supervising the industry for anti-money-laundering (AML) compliance though.
Two Associates of Ex-EU Commissioner Charged as Dirty-Money Probe Grows
Belgian prosecutors have charged two people close to former European Commissioner Didier Reynders as part of a money-laundering investigation that until now had focused on Reynders alone.
Hurley Set to Exit Treasury Amid Dispute over Sanctions Policy
The top Trump administration official leading U.S. sanctions policy and the nation’s financial intelligence unit is set to exit the role amid friction with his boss, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
OFAC Clears Way for New Oil-and-Gas Projects in Venezuela
The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Friday issued a general license clearing the way for certain large oil companies to invest in new operations in Venezuela.
Kuwait and Papua New Guinea Make FATF’s ‘Grey List’
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) added Kuwait and Papua New Guinea to its “grey list” of countries under closer monitoring, saying both have pledged to fix weaknesses in their safeguards against illicit money flows.
Is Elon Musk’s X Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran? The Blue Checkmarks Say ‘Yes’
Elon Musk’s social-media company, X, appears to have violated U.S. sanctions by selling “Premium” subscriptions to accounts linked to Iranian government officials and state entities, according to a Tech Transparency Project (TTP) report.
Deutsche Bank’s Relationship with Epstein Ended Only After His Final Arrest
Deutsche Bank continued providing services to Jeffrey Epstein for months after telling the disgraced financier it would end its relationship with him in late 2018 and only moved to terminate all of his accounts following his final arrest in July 2019.
FinCEN Launches New Whistleblower Portal
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has launched a dedicated portal to accept whistleblower tips on money laundering, fraud, and sanctions violations, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Friday.
Athletics Academy Violated Sanctions by Taking Drug Money
A Florida company that offers elite sports training will pay $1.72 million to settle potential civil liability for allowing the children of suspected Mexican drug traffickers to take part in its programs.
To Bypass Russia Sanctions, Newly Sold Foreign Cars Often Take a Detour in China
Tens of thousands of foreign-brand cars are reaching Russia via China through gray-market channels that often circumvent sanctions and automakers’ pledges to exit the Russian market.