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FinCEN expands its Geographic Targeting Order along the U.S. southwest border, requiring MSBs to report and verify $1,000–$10,000 cash transactions to disrupt Mexico-based cartels

March 10, 2026

The order mandates that money services businesses in specified counties along the U.S.–Mexico border report cash transactions above a lowered threshold of $200, aiming to detect and disrupt illicit financial flows associated with drug cartels and transnational criminal organisations. FinCEN states that the enhanced reporting will strengthen law-enforcement visibility into cross-border financial activity and support efforts to combat money laundering, narcotics trafficking and related criminal networks operating in the region…

White House proclaims a bold crackdown on Western Hemisphere cartels and terrorist gangs, pledging coordinated military, financial, and legal action with 17 allied nations to dismantle their networks

March 7, 2026

The declaration calls for coordinated action among the United States and allied countries to strip criminal organisations of territory, financing and resources that enable violence, drug trafficking and intimidation. It also commits the U.S. to training and mobilising partner-nation militaries and strengthening cooperation to counter external influences and transnational organised-crime networks operating in the region…

White House issues an Executive order to fight cybercrime and fraud, coordinating agencies and the private sector to disrupt transnational criminal networks

March 6, 2026

The order mandates a comprehensive review and action plan to identify cyber-enabled criminal networks running activities such as ransomware attacks, phishing, impersonation scams and sextortion schemes, which the administration says are often coordinated by transnational organised crime groups. It also instructs federal agencies to prioritise prosecutions of cyber-enabled fraud, enhance intelligence-sharing with private-sector cybersecurity firms, and use diplomatic pressure, sanctions, visa restrictions…

U.S. DOJ files civil forfeiture to seize over $15M from an Iranian oil network using front companies like Wellbred Capital that allegedly laundered funds to support IRGC and terrorist operations

March 6, 2026

The funds allegedly supported the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the IRGC, and IRGC-Quds Force, all designated terrorist organizations, in violation of U.S. sanctions under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). Shamkhani’s network operated a fleet of vessels, front companies, and shell firms—including Wellbred Capital Pte. Ltd. and Wellbred Trading DMCC—to launder profits from Iranian and Russian oil sales, conceal Iranian involvement, and fund terrorist activities. U.S. authorities, including DOJ, OFAC, FBI, HSI, and IRS-CI, emphasized coordinated enforcement to dismantle the network, protect the U.S. financial system, and prevent funds from reaching Iran’s terrorist proxies…

U.S. Attorney’s Office files a civil forfeiture action to recover $327K in Tether cryptocurrency linked to a ML scheme from an online romance fraud targeting a Massachusetts resident

March 2, 2026

The scam involved the victim being lured through a dating app into sending funds under the guise of a cryptocurrency investment, which were then routed through multiple wallets and converted to USDT to conceal their origin. Authorities seized the cryptocurrency in August 2025, and the action is part of broader efforts to forfeit fraud-related crypto assets, return funds to victims, and combat cybercrime….

U.S. DOJ confirms its D.C. Scam Center Strike Force has seized over $580M in cryptocurrency from Chinese transnational criminals running large online investment scams targeting U.S. victims

February 26, 2026

These criminal networks are primarily based in Southeast Asia, including Burma, Cambodia, and Laos, and use sophisticated online platforms to solicit investments and extract funds from unsuspecting individuals. The task force, active since November 2025 and comprising the FBI, Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, and DOJ Criminal Division units, is working to pursue forfeiture of the stolen assets and return as much as possible to defrauded victims. This operation represents a coordinated federal effort to disrupt transnational…

US DoJ charges 6 more individuals in a massive international “ATM jackpotting” scheme, part of a network that used malware to steal millions from U.S. ATMs

February 20, 2026

A federal grand jury in Nebraska has indicted six additional individuals in a sprawling international ATM jackpotting conspiracy that used malware to steal millions from U.S. ATMs, bringing the total charged defendants to 93. The scheme, linked to the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua (TdA), involved bank fraud, computer fraud, bank burglary, and money laundering, with individual jackpotting attempts causing losses of over $100,000 and total losses exceeding $6 million…

US Treasury releases 2 new resources to guide AI use in financial services, a standardised AI Lexicon and AI Risk Management Framework to help FIs manage AI risks, enhance controls, and drive innovation

February 19, 2026

The Treasury introduces an Artificial Intelligence Lexicon and a Financial Services AI Risk Management Framework to establish shared terminology and support consistent, risk-based governance of AI across the financial sector. These tools aim to enhance cybersecurity, operational resilience and responsible innovation by helping institutions manage AI risks while supporting wider adoption of AI technologies in financial services…

US Treasury announces public-private initiative to strengthen cybersecurity and risk management for AI in financial services, providing practical tools and guidance to ensure safe and resilient adoption

February 18, 2026

The initiative, involving federal and state regulators and financial institutions, developed practical resources to help institutions—especially small and mid-sized—manage AI-specific cybersecurity risks, enhance fraud prevention, and ensure secure governance, data handling, and digital identity practices. These tools aim to enable safe adoption of AI while reinforcing financial system resilience, promoting compliance with security best practices, and supporting the broader objectives of the President’s AI Action Plan…

FinCEN issues Exceptive relief for FIs from the requirement to identify and verify beneficial owners at each account opening – reducing repetitive checks while keeping full AML safeguards in place

February 13, 2026

FinCEN’s order relieves covered financial institutions from having to identify and verify beneficial owners each time a legal entity opens a new account, requiring this only at initial onboarding, when prior information becomes unreliable, or under risk-based procedures. It aims to reduce duplicative compliance burdens while preserving core AML/CFT safeguards such as ongoing monitoring and risk-based due diligence under the Bank Secrecy Act…

US DOJ secures a 20-year prison sentence against a scheme operator in a $73M global cryptocurrency investment scam that defrauded victims and laundered illicit proceeds

February 9, 2026

The scheme involved fraudulent online investment platforms, social-media and dating-app outreach to build trust with victims, and the use of shell companies, bank accounts, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency transactions to move and conceal stolen funds. The defendant, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, is currently a fugitive after removing his electronic monitoring…

US DOJ obtains legal title to over $400M in seized cryptocurrency, real estate, and other assets linked to Helix, a darknet cryptocurrency-mixing service used to launder illicit proceeds

January 29, 2026

The assets were tied to Helix operator Larry Dean Harmon, who pleaded guilty to money-laundering conspiracy, and the forfeiture follows a final court order transferring the seized assets to the U.S. government. Authorities said the Helix mixer processed hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency transactions connected largely to darknet drug markets, underscoring continued enforcement against…

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