On December 24, 2025, U. S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a significant operation aimed at combating money laundering activities linked to drug cartels and criminal organizations at the southern border of the United States. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to secure the border and eradicate illicit financial activities.
• Operation Overview: The Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) launched an operation focusing on over 100 money services businesses (MSBs) along the southwest border. These MSBs operate outside formal banking systems and are under scrutiny for potential regulatory violations.
• Objectives: The primary goal is to identify financial transaction businesses involved in money laundering related to cartel and criminal activities. The Treasury aims to uncover and prevent the flow of illicit funds associated with drug trafficking, human smuggling, and other serious crimes.
• Outcome of the Operation: The operation has already prompted six notices of investigation and numerous referrals to the IRS for compliance examination. Additionally, more than 50 outreach letters aimed at compliance have been sent.
• Government’s Position: Secretary Bessent emphasized that this operation reflects President Trump's directive to utilize all necessary tools to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and human smuggling operations. The government believes that addressing these financial activities will weaken the cartels' influence both in the U. S. and Mexico.
• Impact on Mexico: Law enforcement actions targeting Mexican cartels are regarded as likely to have implications for the Mexican government, as it is believed that cartels exert significant control over some politicians within the country.
• Broader Context: This initiative is part of a comprehensive approach to border security and is aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
The operation announced by Secretary Bessent is a crucial step in enforcing financial regulations on businesses that may be implicated in money laundering. It underscores the government's commitment to curbing the influence of drug cartels and ensuring that U. S. financial systems are not compromised by illegal activities at the southern border. The actions taken could lead to more significant crackdowns on money laundering operations critical to these criminal organizations.
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