Financial Crimes, FinCEN, Criminal Investigations

FinCEN Designates Three Mexican Financial Institutions as Primary Money Laundering Concerns Linked to Opioid Trafficking

Ballard Spahr LLP on 7/3/2025

On June 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued three orders designating CIBanco S.A., Intercam Banco S.A., and Vector Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V. (collectively,...more

Criminal Case Round-Up: Recent Prosecutions Involving Financial Institution Officers

Ballard Spahr LLP on 2/5/2024

The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) has been very active in the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) / Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) space, as reflected by a recent series of individual prosecutions and corporate non-prosecution agreements...more

FinCEN issues assessment on possible “no-action” letters for industry

Ballard Spahr LLP on 7/9/2021

As required by the Anti-Money Laundering Act (“AML Act”), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued on June 30, 2021 its 14-page assessment regarding the feasibility of FinCEN issuing so-called “no-action”...more

U.S. Treasury and DOJ Targets “Evil Corp”

Ballard Spahr LLP on 12/6/2019

Organization Excels at Niche Branding but Stumbles in Avoiding Enforcement - The first paragraph of the press release sums it up: Today the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action...more

FinCEN Director Blanco Addresses AML Compliance and Casinos

Ballard Spahr LLP on 8/15/2019

FinCEN Director Kenneth A. Blanco delivered prepared remarks on August 13 at the 12th Annual Las Vegas Anti-Money Laundering Conference. We previously have blogged repeatedly on the anti-money laundering (“AML”) and Bank...more

FinCEN Dispenses Law Enforcement Awards Based on BSA Reporting

Ballard Spahr LLP on 5/23/2019

Director Blanco Stresses Importance of BSA Filings to Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions - As we have blogged, Kenneth Blanco, the Director of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), has publically and...more