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Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Money Laundering Anti-Money Laundering

Foley & Lardner LLP

FinCEN Exercises New Authority Targeting Mexico-Based Financial Institutions to Counter Cartel-Linked Fentanyl Trade

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On June 25, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated three Mexico-based financial institutions as primary money laundering concerns under Section 311 of the USA...more

Morgan Lewis

FinCEN Issues First Transaction Ban on Certain Mexico-Based Financial Institutions

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In a historic first, the US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network recently published orders prohibiting transactions with covered Mexico-based financial institutions. On June 30, 2025, the US...more

Mayer Brown

FinCEN Designates Three Mexican Financial Institutions Under New Section 311 Authority: First Use of Expanded Powers Under FEND...

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On June 25, 2025, the US Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued three orders (the “Orders”) pursuant to the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, designating three...more

Holland & Knight LLP

FinCEN Advisory Highlights Iran Sanctions Evasion Red Flags

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), published the FinCEN Advisory on the Iranian Regime's Illicit Oil Smuggling Activities, Shadow Banking Networks, and Weapons...more

Bracewell LLP

Trump Administration Efforts to Eliminate Cartels Pose Heightened Risk for Financial Institutions

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As discussed in Bracewell’s February 11 and February 26 updates, the executive branch is prioritizing the “total elimination” of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, both through edicts from the Oval Office and...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

How the Trump Administration’s War on Cartels Will Reshape the Financial Sector

On March 11, 2025, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) aimed at disrupting drug trafficking and money laundering along the southwestern border. The...more

Guidepost Solutions LLC

Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Investment Advisors – Yes, Financial Crime is Borderless and Legal Entity-Agnostic

There is a growing acknowledgement that money laundering and terrorist financing is borderless and legal entity-agnostic, just as it is already known that cybercriminals and the means to commit cybercrimes continuously attack...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Navigating AML and Sanctions Compliance in the Insurance Industry

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Money laundering generally refers to financial transactions in which criminals, including terrorist organizations, attempt to disguise the proceeds, sources, or nature of their illicit activities. Money laundering facilitates...more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

U.S. Deploys Pincer Maneuver on Perceived Crypto Abuses

Crypto’s two calling cards, decentralization and anonymity, can lead to abuses, such as money laundering and tax evasion. The U.S. Treasury has long combatted crypto money laundering...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

ICBC Agrees to Two Consent Orders for Alleged BSA/AML Deficiencies and Disclosure of Confidential Supervisory Information

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Recently, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (“ICBC”) entered into two consent orders. The first consent order is with the New York State Department of Financial Services (the “NYDFS”) for alleged deficiencies...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

The Cryptocurrency Conundrum: Balancing Innovation with Terrorism Financing Risks

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Cryptocurrency, with its anonymity and decentralization, has revolutionized financial transactions. However, it has also opened doors for illicit activities, such as terrorist financing. Below we explore the role of...more

Guidepost Solutions LLC

Innovate or Incriminate: Safeguarding Financial Institutions from Money Laundering Risks

What You Need to Know - In October 2023, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) enacted multiple sanctions targeting the supply chain of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. In addition to...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Binance’s Paper Compliance Program Crumples Under OFAC Scrutiny in Largest OFAC Settlement in History

On November 21, 2023, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced its largest settlement in history with the virtual currency exchange Binance. This almost-billion dollar settlement is a part of a larger...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Binance Settles Criminal and Civil AML and Sanctions Enforcement Actions for Multiple Billions – While its Founder, Owner and...

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As the world now knows, Binance Holdings Limited, doing business as Binance.com (“Binance” or the “Company”), has entered into a plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”)....more

Ballard Spahr LLP

SEC Exam Priorities Target AML

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Priorities Echo Prior Alerts and Enforcement Actions - The SEC’s Division of Examinations (the “Division”) released on October 16 a report on its “Examination Priorities” (the “Report”) for fiscal year 2024. This release...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Steel Company President with Ties to Russian Oligarch Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Alleged Sanctions...

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Earlier this month, John Can Unsalan, the president of a steel-making company with ties to Russian oligarchs, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, based on financial transactions committed with...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

New FinCEN Director Addresses Key Topics in BSA/AML

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The new Director of FinCEN, Andrea Gacki, addressed several key topics on October 3, 2023 at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (“ACAMS”) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Specifically, Director...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

OFAC Enforcement Action Emphasizes the Importance of Whistleblower Programs

On August 16, 2023, OFAC announced a $660,594 settlement with Construction Specialties Inc. (CS) for alleged violations of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR). OFAC found that CS’s wholly controlled...more

White & Case LLP

Bitzlato Founder Charged With Facilitating Money Laundering of More than $700 Million in Dark Web Funds

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Anatoly Legkodymov, Russian founder of Hong Kong-registered cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato Limited ("Bitzlato"), was arrested on January 17 based on an Amended Complaint filed by the Department of Justice ("DOJ") charging...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

Kraken Settlement Demonstrates Importance of Sanctions Monitoring for Transactions — Not Just When Onboarding Customers

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The Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced (here and here) yesterday that virtual currency exchange Payward, Inc. – better known as Kraken – has agreed to pay $362,158.70 in order to settle its potential civil...more

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform Agrees to Pay over $53 Million for Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions Violations

On October 11, 2022, the U.S. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced settlements with Bittrex Inc. (Bittrex). The settlements arise from violations of...more

Bracewell LLP

DOJ Trumpets New Multi-Faceted Cryptocurrency Task Force: What this Means for You

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In keeping with the United States government’s expanding scrutiny of cryptocurrency markets, the DOJ recently announced the creation of a National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (the “NCET”). The NCET endeavors to add a...more

McGlinchey Stafford

BSA, OFAC, KYC, and CIP – What do they mean to me? [More with McGlinchey, Ep. 29]

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The Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and parts of the U.S. Patriot Act’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) requirements have seemingly similar goals: to prevent money laundering and the funding of terrorist activities. Yet a...more

American Conference Institute (ACI)

[Event] London Forum on Global Economic Sanctions - November 17th - 18th, London, United Kingdom

Practical Guidance to Staying Compliant with Multiple Regimes - 10th London Forum on Global Economic Sanctions will return on November 17-18, 2021, IN PERSON! This program will provide you with all the current...more

Holland & Knight LLP

FinCEN Announces National AML/CFT Policy Priorities

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The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) on June 30, 2021, issued national priorities for anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) policy (the Priorities), as required by the...more

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