Daily financial-crime intelligence · Updated 29 Jul 2026, 23:01 UTC
Trafficking
Ecuador's authorities arrested National Police officers for their involvement in a fuel trafficking scandal involving illicit diversion of subsidized fuel for black-market resale.
Money laundering
Infobea reports on how the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel built a network of formal businesses including gas stations (Petrocoda S.A.)
Money laundering
According to Infobae, Brazil's Federal Police dismantled a drug trafficking and money-laundering network and arrested nine people.
According to the report, India's Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa Zonal Office arrested Dubai-based Indian national Nihal V.N. under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and a Special PMLA Court in Goa remanded him to seven days' custody until July 28.
Money laundering
The Guardia Civil announced results of Operation 'Trajano 23 Sorela', placing eleven people in judicial custody as suspects and one under investigation for alleged money laundering, criminal organisation membership, bribery, misconduct in office, misappropriation of public funds, disclosure of secrets, misuse of privileged information and abuse of influence.
According to La Jornada, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department, in coordination with Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit, sanctioned 55 individuals and entities linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in what Treasury describes as its largest financial action against that group.
Terrorist financing
US authorities set 1 June 2027 as the trial date for Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, who have been held in federal detention in Brooklyn since 3 January 2026.
Fraud & scams
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released a report revealing that victims of transnational online scams across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand lost an estimated $88.3 billion to $114.
Money laundering
Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as 'El Mayo,' age 76, was sentenced to life in federal prison and ordered to pay $15 billion in criminal forfeiture for his role as the principal leader of the Sinaloa Cartel for nearly four decades.
Money laundering
Mexican authorities arrested Justo Aurelio Rivera Parrazales, alleged to be a logistical and financial operator for the Cartel del Noreste who allegedly designed money laundering schemes.
Trafficking
Federal authorities detained a suspect identified as Justo Aurelio 'N' in Yucatán during coordinated raids.
Bribery & corruption
The Scoular Company, an Omaha-based agricultural supply firm, entered a three-year deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay over $10 million to resolve charges of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Money laundering
Italian authorities ordered the preventive seizure of assets on May 4, 2026, in a money laundering investigation linking Lebanon's IBL Bank to alleged Italian drug trafficker Giacomo Tamburello.
Trafficking
Giacomo Tamburello and his family accumulated gold bars, luxury real estate and an $89 million stake in a bank with the help of unscrupulous financiers and lawyers, according to an ICIJ investigation based on leaked Pandora Papers records.
Money laundering
Dominican authorities executed 20 raids in an investigation into a criminal network engaged in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering.
Money laundering
Juan Carlos Minero Alonso, 35, director of financial firm Black Wallstreet Capital, faces organised crime and money laundering charges related to Colombian drug cartels.
Money laundering
Juan Ignacio Suris, an entrepreneur from Bahía Blanca, heads an organization accused of incorporating illicit funds into the formal economic circuit through money laundering activities connected to drug trafficking and fraudulent invoice schemes. The case remains in preliminary trial phase.
Money laundering
Nine Venezuelan nationals pleaded guilty to human trafficking, alien smuggling, and money laundering involving a sex trafficking operation based in Nashville, Tennessee motels.
Money laundering
Brazilian authorities detained ten individuals in Operation Hawala against a network accused of laundering proceeds for three of the country's major criminal organizations (Terceiro Comando Puro, Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital).
Money laundering
French and Italian authorities, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol with Kosovar authorities, seized criminal assets worth €1 million in an ongoing investigation into a money laundering network that uses gold bars to launder drug trafficking profits.
Money laundering
Transparency International US released a report titled 'Crypto's Dirty Money Problem: What Congress Must Fix' warning that proposed US cryptocurrency legislation, including the CLARITY Act, contains regulatory gaps that could allegedly enable scammers, drug cartels, terrorist financing, sanctions evasion, and corruption.
The European Union Council strengthened the EU's restrictive measures concerning Sudan on July 13, 2026, by introducing a ban on the purchase, import or transfer of gold originating in Sudan, and banning the sale, supply, transfer or export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan.
Bribery & corruption
Facundo Leal, former director of ARSAT, was questioned regarding alleged corruption involving irregular selection of contractors. Investigators allege that state officials and private companies colluded to direct storage and logistics service contracts valued at more than 1.
Trafficking
Rodolfo Junior Aguirre Covarrubias, a Mexican citizen born in June 1988, is accused by U.S. authorities of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute.
Bribery & corruption
In an investigation coordinated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, detention orders were issued for 36 suspects, including Çankaya Municipality Mayor Hüseyin Can Güner, on allegations of organizing a criminal enterprise, membership in criminal organization, bribery, and rigging public tenders.
Bribery & corruption
Diego Marín Buitrago, alias 'Papá Pitufo', considered Colombia's 'smuggling czar', was formally accused in November 2025 of aggravated criminal conspiracy and bribery for offering or giving bribes.
Money laundering
Former Arsenal and Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri was questioned for 10 hours by France's financial investigative unit (BRIF) as part of a judicial investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering.
Trafficking
Abdul Zahir Qadeer, also known as 'Haji Abdul Zahir,' a former general in Afghanistan's Border Force and First Deputy Speaker of Afghanistan's National Assembly's House of the People, was extradited from Kenya to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to import heroin and methamphetamine and weapons offenses.
Trafficking
OLAF coordinated an operation with Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Lithuanian authorities that dismantled two international organizations based in Spain involved in manufacturing, distributing, and trafficking counterfeit tobacco products.
Following a raid by Lahav 433, police froze approximately 180 million shekels belonging to Menorah Insurance and five managers, including Ari Kalman (CEO of Menorah Holdings), the most senior figure involved. Kalman was previously convicted in the 1990s insurance cartel case.
Money laundering
Turkish authorities conducted an operation against six suspects accused of laundering approximately 784.7 million Turkish lira derived from human trafficking.
Trafficking
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, issued a decision establishing a specialized court in Abu Dhabi to hear human trafficking cases, according to the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Fraud & scams
U.S. government witness Luis Rivera testified about an alleged international fuel smuggling network operating between Texas and Mexico.
Money laundering
Julio Marín González, owner of a cellular phone store chain in Sinaloa, was convicted by a U.S. federal court to 80 months in prison, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors alleged that he laundered approximately 1.
Money laundering
Authorities obtained audio recordings in which Jhobanis de Jesús Ávila Villadiego, alias Chiquito Malo, leader of the Gulf Clan, allegedly instructed his sister to build luxury properties in Antioquia using suspected drug trafficking funds, while simultaneously participating in peace negotiations with the Colombian government.
Money laundering
Operation Global Chain, carried out from 8 to 12 June across 59 countries, led to 1,024 arrests and the identification of 2,070 victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labour, and coerced begging.
Money laundering
Experts allege that the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel may have utilized phantom remittances entering Banco del Bienestar to finance the ruling party and 2024 elections in Mexico.
Money laundering
French, Italian and Kosovar law enforcement, coordinated by Eurojust, seized assets valued at approximately one million euros in the context of an ongoing investigation into an international money laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
Trafficking
Former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández announced his return to Honduras on July 26, 2026, following a temporary suspension of an arrest warrant that will allow him to appear before the courts, according to the article.
Money laundering
Fourteen people, including two National Police officers, were detained on suspicion of money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Brazil's Federal Police conducted an operation to dismantle a criminal organization dedicated to money laundering from international drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Brazil's federal police launched Operation Exchange on July 3, 2026, deploying more than fifty officers across São Paulo state to target suspects sanctioned by the United States over alleged ties to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) drug gang.
Money laundering
Wenshen Xu, a 52-year-old Chinese citizen, has accepted charges for conspiracy to import cocaine, money laundering from drug trafficking, and providing material support to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), according to U.S. Justice Department documents.
Money laundering
Brazil's federal police launched Operation Exchange targeting suspects sanctioned by the United States over alleged ties to the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) drug gang. A São Paulo court authorized the seizure of assets, cash and cryptocurrency worth up to approximately $2 billion.
Trafficking
Investigation by the 'Sistema' project reveals a sophisticated cocaine smuggling operation disguised as legitimate fruit imports through Saint Petersburg's port.
Trafficking
Spain's National Police dismantled a criminal organization distributing drugs to traffickers nationwide. The operation resulted in 34 arrests across five provinces. Authorities seized 126 kilograms of cocaine, 10 kilograms of hashish, 6 kilograms of marijuana, MDMA, and other controlled substances.
Trafficking
Alias Palizada was arrested in Envigado, Colombia. He is accused of coordinating major international drug trafficking operations, moving approximately 12 tons of cocaine monthly from Colombia to the United States and Europe.
Money laundering
National Police arrested on July 2, 2026 14 persons, including two police officers, accused of being part of a money laundering network linked to drug trafficking led by Ignacio Torán.
Money laundering
An investigation by France Info reveals the alarming increase in corruption linked to drug trafficking in France, affecting prison guards, police officers, court clerks, lawyers, notaries and port agents.
Trafficking
Dubai authorities seized more than 278,000 pregabalin pills weighing 200kg in two separate operations, according to reports. Dubai Customs' data analysis systems flagged a suspicious shipment from an Asian country, leading to the discovery of 150,600 capsules.
Money laundering
Eleven nightlife business owners in Seville and Cádiz face accusations of laundering drug trafficking proceeds. The scheme allegedly involved the nightclubs Banana and Margarita, as well as the Puro Latino festival.
Money laundering
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated two Brazilian citizens—Victor Henrique de Oliveira Shimada and Stella Stefanie Nunes Henrique de Oliveira—and multiple companies for alleged involvement in money laundering connected to the PCC criminal organization.
Money laundering
Parisian lawyer Amar Bouaou, known for defending organized crime figures linked to drug trafficking, has been charged with organized money laundering and tax fraud, according to the Paris prosecutor's office.
Money laundering
Financial authorities in Mexico and the United States jointly targeted a network allegedly involved in fuel smuggling connected to the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel. The U.S.
Fraud & scams
Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva, Mexican accountant, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department's OFAC on June 30, 2026, accused of designing and operating a corporate network that allowed the CJNG cartel to evade taxes on fuel imports.
Money laundering
Wenshen Xu, 52, a Honduras-based Chinese national extradited from Guatemala, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, conspiring to launder money derived from drug trafficking, and providing material support to Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Bribery & corruption
Judge Javierca Gómez ordered on June 30, 2026, one year of preventive detention against Gustavo Adolfo G. V. (migration agent) and Joel Antonio C. R.
Fraud & scams
Jean Wilson, 54, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, a licensed nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 120 months in prison and ordered to pay $66 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud.
Trafficking
A federal judge ordered custody of three men after authorities discovered more than 1,700 tires and more than 90 vehicles on a property in San Luis Potosí, along with five wildlife specimens including African lions.
Money laundering
Italian mafia boss Domenico Paviglianiti, approximately 65 years old and considered the 'boss of bosses' of the 'Ndrangheta organization, was arrested in Soria, Spain on June 26 following an international Interpol operation.
Mexico's Security Cabinet coordinated multi-agency operations in 16 states that resulted in numerous arrests and asset seizures.
Money laundering
A small aircraft crashed in Playa Norte, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, carrying individuals with documented histories in financial crime. Two Costa Rican nationals were aboard: Luis Alejandro Giralt Apéstegui, who founded Bancus fintech platform, and Carlos Chinchilla Jiménez, the pilot.
Sanctions
Bellingcat and The Sunday Times revealed that Ian Thomas Dixon, a sanctioned lieutenant of the Kinahan organized crime group, has been living openly in Dubai and participating in padel tournaments under an alias. Dixon was sanctioned by the U.S.
The Berlin Regional Court sentenced Gerard Grischew to three years and ten months in prison on 10 June 2026 after he pleaded guilty to charges including document forgery and operating an unregistered banking system.
Money laundering
Juan Carlos Félix Gastelum, son-in-law of cartel leader Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, pleaded guilty to four federal crimes in San Diego on June 26, 2026. The charges include three drug trafficking counts and one money laundering conspiracy charge, with sentencing scheduled for March 2027.
Bribery & corruption
Moroccan Court of Appeals in Casablanca convicted 29 defendants including former politicians, sports figures, business leaders for drug trafficking, gold trafficking, corruption, forgery, and exchange control violations.
Money laundering
A special narcotics court in Lahore rejected bail applications for three women—Naziah Khawaja Mukhtar, Maria Asim, and Rimsha Asim—arrested in a money laundering case linked to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Ingrid Paola Ávila Hernández, known as 'La Patrona' and sister of Clan del Golfo leader 'Chiquito Malo,' was captured at José María Córdova International Airport in Antioquia.
Money laundering
The Chilean Public Ministry is preparing a mission to Haiti's capital to seize documents, money, and stamps linked to corruption allegations at Chile's consulate.
Bribery & corruption
Colombia's Supreme Court opened an investigation into former Chamber of Representatives president Henry Fernando Correal Herrera regarding alleged irregularities in Galeras, Sucre.
Money laundering
Ygor Fokin Saviolli, 35, Brazilian national, pleaded guilty June 24, 2026 to conspiracy to launder more than $30 million in drug trafficking proceeds.
Money laundering
Argentina's Federal Tribunal No. 4 of San Martín convicted María Eugenia Maronna (49, auto agency owner), Fernando Aldo de Bórtoli (39), and Ricardo Gabriel Sosa (44, alias 'El Gaby') for laundering narcotics proceeds through purchase of a property lot (Lote 19) in Los Sauces country club, Pilar,…
Trafficking
Israel's Competition Authority is conducting a criminal investigation into suspected collusive arrangements at Supergas Power, a publicly traded utility company under the Elco Group. The investigation was launched approximately six months prior, involving employee interrogations and home searches.
Trafficking
Colombia's Special Assets Society (SAE) seized a 1.8-hectare property in Bogotá's Suba neighborhood that belonged to Juan Camilo Zapata Vásquez, a drug cartel leader from the 1980s allied with Pablo Escobar.
Money laundering
Argentine federal judge Lino Mirabelli summoned former deputy José Luis Espert, his accountant Mariano Alejandro Cosentino, and company Varianza SA for questioning on June 30, 2026 over alleged money laundering.
Trafficking
Authorities in Medellín announced a major drug control operation on June 23, 2026, intercepting 1,755 kilograms of marijuana hidden in a truck in Copacabana. Five individuals aged between 37 and 49 years were captured in flagrante during the operation.
Money laundering
OCRGDF announced the dismantling of four criminal groups allegedly engaged in money laundering connected to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Civil Guard detained on June 23, 2026, six persons, including Yolanda Santos, Commerce Councilor of the socialist municipal government of Soria, after searching City Hall in an investigation for alleged offenses of trafficking in influence, administrative misconduct, negotiations and activities…
Fraud & scams
The Supreme Court has convicted José Luis Ábalos to 24 years in prison for crimes of criminal organization, bribery (cohecho), influence trafficking, and embezzlement in the Koldo case.
Money laundering
On June 16, 2026, over 120 gendarmes and police officers were deployed in a major operation involving arrests and searches conducted as part of a preliminary investigation into concealed labor, money laundering, and social benefits fraud linked to two restaurants located on the Cassis port.
Money laundering
OjoPúblico investigation identifies approximately 60 companies suspected of laundering illegally mined gold in Peru.
Fraud & scams
Begoña Gómez (spouse of Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez), businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés Cónsul, and government advisor María Cristina Álvarez Rodríguez will stand trial for influence trafficking, business corruption, misappropriation, and embezzlement of public funds related to creation and management of competitive social transformation chair at Madrid's Complutense University.
Trafficking
Two foreign brothers (identified as the Pacheco brothers) were captured in Medellín's Laureles neighborhood, sought by the U.S. District Court for Southern Ohio for international drug trafficking crimes.
:quality(80)/outremer%2F2020%2F11%2F26%2F5fbfa845d47fa_000_hr02x-1530570.jpg)
Money laundering
A police officer stationed in Martinique was formally charged with corruption and money laundering in connection with a large criminal network that allegedly laundered approximately €1 billion over the past decade.
Money laundering
Adita Hurtado Olascoaga, known as 'La Venadita,' serves as Nueva Familia Michoacana's primary financial operator. According to U.S. investigations and OFAC, she directs a money laundering network based on purchasing used clothing in the United States for subsequent resale in Mexico.
Money laundering
Stephany Maryel Villarreal, Panamanian national, arrested in Spain through coordinated Interpol operation. Faces allegations of capital laundering connected to drug trafficking proceeds.
Money laundering
Five Eyes law enforcement agencies have dismantled 15 major international money laundering syndicates through coordinated investigations, according to an announcement made by the Australian Federal Police.
Money laundering
UAE transferred three suspects to Belgian authorities who were sought via Interpol red notices. Individuals faced allegations involving money laundering, drug trafficking, and transnational organised crime activities.
Money laundering
Spanish authorities arrested a 58-year-old resident of Mijas under a European Detention Order issued by Denmark for leading an alleged money-laundering operation.
Money laundering
Fifteen people were arrested and nearly €8 million seized in a coordinated France-Belgium operation dismantling a transnational money-laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
The UAE extradited three individuals to Belgium who were wanted on Interpol Red Notices for charges related to money laundering, drug trafficking, and links to transnational organized criminal groups. The extradition followed judicial rulings and the extradition treaty between the UAE and Belgium.
Money laundering
Ronald Javier Macías Villamar (alias 'Javi'), 44, considered the maximum leader of Ecuador's Los Choneros criminal organization and brother of extradited alias 'Fito', was arrested in Bogotá's exclusive Quinta Paredes neighborhood on June 16-17, 2026, following over two months of surveillance.
Bribery & corruption
Mexican Senator Enrique Inzunza (Morena party, Sinaloa) was accused by the U.S. Department of Justice on June 17, 2026, of allegedly conspiring with Sinaloa Cartel leaders to import massive quantities of narcotics to the U.S. in exchange for political support and bribes, and weapons possession.
Fraud & scams
A 45-year-old man from Pornic was convicted by the Saint-Nazaire tribunal correctionnel for tax fraud after concealing €272,000 in drug trafficking proceeds between 2018-2021. The tax authority imposed a total demand exceeding €320,000 including penalties. He received a six-month prison sentence.
Bribery & corruption
Chile's Anti-Corruption Unit is investigating potential bribery and corruption involving public officials in connection with the trafficking of over 200 Haitian children who entered the country between January and April 2025.
Money laundering
French authorities dismantled an organized money laundering operation in the Narbonne area on June 9, 2026, seizing approximately €2.7 million in bank accounts, 14 luxury vehicles, a boat, gold, and jewelry.
Money laundering
UAE authorities dismantled a drug distribution network following a tip from the Federal Narcotics Control Prosecution, with coordination from Ras Al Khaimah police.
Trafficking
UAE law enforcement agencies collaborated to disrupt a coordinated drug trafficking scheme operating across the Emirates. The operation led to the arrest of 13 suspects as authorities worked to prevent illicit substances from reaching the streets.
Trafficking
On June 9, 2026, the Marseille Research Section dismantled an international criminal organization involved in arms, drug, and human trafficking following a JIRS-ordered judicial operation. Ten people were arrested in the Alpes-Maritimes, and approximately €1.
Money laundering
Congressional testimony revealed Chinese financial networks laundering an estimated USD 312 billion for Mexican drug cartels between 2020-2024. Expert Leland Lazarus testified that Chinese money-laundering networks have become central financial enablers for drug cartels.
Money laundering
Five individuals were placed under judicial examination on June 12, 2026, in connection with organized money laundering in the Marseille region. The investigation involved searches on June 9 that yielded approximately €2.7 million in seized cash, 14 high-end vehicles, a boat, gold, and jewelry.
Money laundering
Five persons were charged and placed under judicial supervision on June 12 in connection with organized money laundering. Law enforcement seized approximately €2.7 million as well as 14 luxury vehicles, a boat, gold and jewelry.
Trafficking
Venezuelan lawyer Oscar Cunto André, a senior attorney at Dentons' Venezuela offices, is mentioned in over 800 pages of Spanish National Police judicial proceedings in the 'Zapatero case' involving former Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Money laundering
French authorities dismantled a major money laundering operation linked to drug trafficking spanning France, Belgium, and Mauritania in early June 2026. Operations on June 5-6, 2026 led to 15 arrests, seizure of €8 million in assets, 50 kg of cocaine, and €500,000 in cash.
:quality(80)/outremer%2F2025%2F05%2F05%2Fpolice-voit-6818ed5822901148647480.jpg)
Money laundering
A police officer stationed in Martinique was placed under investigation (mis en examen) on June 11, 2026, and placed in provisional detention following an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Division (DNAC).
David Greenhalgh, 68, and Christos Farmakis, 48, were found guilty on June 11, 2026, of running a secretive international arms brokering operation at Southwark Crown Court. The two men were jointly found guilty of eight counts of illegal arms trafficking under the Export Control Order 2008.
Bribery & corruption
Two Colombian nationals—Nerlin Pineda Paredes (alias 'Familia') and Alver Pineda Mosquera (alias 'Promesa')—were arrested in Quito on June 9, 2026, as part of Operation Gran Fénix 29.
Money laundering
Honduras's Public Ministry filed money laundering charges on June 11, 2026, against former National Police official Mario Guillermo Mejía Vargas, who is currently serving a sentence in the United States for drug trafficking-related crimes.
Bribery & corruption
Former federal judge Walter Bento (63) allegedly led illicit organization demanding bribes in exchange for judicial favors across criminal cases. Network moved approximately $1.7 million USD in bribes plus real estate.
Money laundering
French and Belgian authorities dismantled an international money laundering network in a joint operation coordinated by Eurojust on June 6, 2026. Eight individuals were arrested, and over €8 million in cash, three luxury vehicles, and high-end watches were seized during 17 raids.
Money laundering
Audiencia Nacional Judge Ismael Moreno summoned subteniente José Luis Rodríguez García for questioning on July 8 as investigated party in Koldo mask corruption scheme. Rodríguez served as security chief at Transportation Ministry under José Luis Ábalos.
Money laundering
Operation Tokio dismantled a Tren de Aragua cell that laundered illicit gains exceeding USD 85 million to Colombia. The criminal structure operated as an 'events production company' that extorted nightclub owners in Santiago, sold drugs, and trafficked women.
Money laundering
Leonardo Ayala, 26, a former retail banker at TD Bank N.A. in Florida, was sentenced to two years in prison for accepting bribes and facilitating money laundering.
Money laundering
A federal jury in Washington, D.C. has formally charged Jaime 'Jimmy' Sánchez Soriano, a 45-year-old linked to the Los Viagras criminal organization, with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation into the United States.
Money laundering
Jaime 'Jimmy' Sanchez Soriano, 45, of Mexico, was indicted on conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine for importation into the United States and money laundering conspiracy.
Money laundering
A Franco-Belgian police operation resulted in the seizure of 8 million euros in cash, three luxury vehicles and luxury watches on 6 June 2026 in Brussels.
Money laundering
Peru's Public Ministry requested eight months of preventive detention for model Nadeska Widausky, who faces investigation for money laundering and asset imbalance.
Tax evasion
Chilean PDI (Investigative Police) dismantled criminal organization in Valdivia involved in illegal trafficking and sale of seafood products (salmon, hake). Over 54 individuals detained including 3 Carabineros (police), 1 former Sernapesca official, 1 Valdivia municipality employee.
Money laundering
Moroccan police arrested 11 individuals wanted by French, Belgian, and Dutch authorities for international drug trafficking, money laundering, and fraud in a coordinated operation spanning Tangier to Marrakech on June 8, 2026.
Money laundering
UAE and Saudi Arabian authorities collaborated to prevent a large-scale drug trafficking operation, intercepting approximately 267,000 amphetamine pills. The criminal gang was arrested following the successful joint law enforcement operation.
:quality(80)/outremer%2F2023%2F07%2F22%2F64bbfe5a8abb7_cgss-lamentin.jpeg)
Fraud & scams
In June 2026, two pharmacists in Martinique were convicted of aggravated fraud after the CGSS fraud service discovered they were billing health insurance for very expensive drugs (600 euros and over) without actually dispensing them.
Money laundering
Five men were indicted on June 5, 2026 in Paris for money laundering of suspected drug trafficking proceeds in the Paris region. Search operations led to discovery of €270,000 in cash. All five suspects placed under formal investigation.
Trafficking
Los Cuinis operates the financial arm of Mexico's Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), converting illegal proceeds into legitimate assets through front companies including shopping centers, luxury hotels, restaurants, real estate firms, and medical clinics.
Trafficking
FBI-led nationwide operation from March 1 to May 31, 2026 resulted in over 1,100 arrests, over 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted targeting gang-related threats.
Fraud & scams
A Chinese national pled guilty on June 5, 2026, in D.C. federal court to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. in a sanctions evasion scheme involving North Korean tobacco smuggling, ending a case that had seen two mistrials. The case is part of broader U.S.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police arrested four people in Puerto Real (Cádiz) for money laundering linked to drug trafficking. Operation Odín seized one property, three vehicles, 16 bank accounts, and traced €261,925 in assets.
Bribery & corruption
A Mexico City judge indicted Tania 'N' for crimes against health and bribery. She was detained on May 26, 2026 in Iztacalco with more than 150 doses of narcotics. During the intervention, she offered 30,000 pesos to police officers to avoid her detention, adding the bribery charge.
Terrorist financing
Peruvian National Police Commander Arturo López Cárdenas, 30-year veteran who directed Criminalistics Department in Ayacucho, faces charges of illegally supplying weapons and ammunition to drug trafficking organizations and terrorist remnants in VRAEM region.
Money laundering
Operation XL526 resulted in 20 arrests in Santiago for a criminal network that extorted U.S. residents by posing as Sinaloa Cartel members. The network laundered proceeds via cryptocurrency (Bitcoin), electronic transfers, and remittance companies.
Money laundering
Puquan Huang, 50, a Chinese national residing in Buford, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Money laundering
Chilean authorities dismantled Tren de Aragua criminal cell that laundered over USD 87 million to Colombia through cryptocurrency companies.
Bribery & corruption
The European Union approved a new directive strengthening criminal penalties for corruption across all member states.
Money laundering
Security and justice ministers from all Mercosur member states and associated countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia) signed the 'Asunción Commitment 2026 against Corruption and Organized Crime' at the 55th Meeting of Interior Ministers and 63rd Meeting of Justice Ministers (May 26-29) in Asunción.
Money laundering
The Civil Guard dismantled a drug distribution point in Peñarroya-Pueblonuevo (Córdoba), arresting five individuals. Three have been imprisoned on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal organization membership.
Money laundering
Thomas Padovano, an Essex County, New Jersey man, was sentenced to 234 months (19.5 years) in prison for the distribution of hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl analogues and money laundering.
Fraud & scams
Facundo Leal, former president of ARSAT and ORSNA who served under both Alberto Fernández and Javier Milei administrations, was arrested on May 28, 2026 with over $2.5 million in undeclared cash, drugs (ketamine, MDMA, cocaine), and a mysterious single-person company.
Money laundering
Belgian prosecutors are investigating Wise Europe over alleged anti-money laundering control failures after Wise accounts featured in hundreds of cross-border criminal investigation requests from 30+ countries, involving transactions totaling half a billion euros linked to suspected fraud, corruption, and drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Maximiliano R., 47-year-old gardener from Canning, and his son Rodrigo R. arrested by Federal Police Money Laundering Division after millionaire banking movements triggered AFIP/ARCA alarms inconsistent with declared income.
Money laundering
Mediapart and the European Investigative Collaborations network revealed that British payments platform Wise is being prosecuted in Belgium for money laundering involving over €500 million, connected to hundreds of criminal cases in France and across Europe.
Money laundering
Belgian prosecutors opened investigation into Wise Europe over allegations accounts were used to launder proceeds from fraud, corruption and drug trafficking.
Fraud & scams
Colombia's Special Assets Society (SAE) announced recovery of 32 properties valued at approximately 19.5 billion pesos linked to Francisco Javier Piedrahita Sánchez, deceased drug trafficking financier.
Money laundering
Facundo Leal, 42-year-old lawyer, former president of state company ARSAT (2022-2026) and former director of ORSNA appointed by the Milei administration in 2025, was detained for alleged money laundering and drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit issued a preventive advisory on May 27 highlighting elevated risks of money laundering and human trafficking during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Trafficking
Two Swiss private banks, Pictet & Cie and J. Safra Sarasin, appear in a seizure request filed by Palermo prosecutors targeting the criminal proceeds of alleged Sicilian drug trafficker Giacomo Tamburello.
Colombia's National Police executed Operation Nemesis Plus, seizing properties valued at over 24.934 billion pesos ($24.9B COP) for asset forfeiture.
Money laundering
Colombian Technical Investigation Corps arrested Chinese citizen Haibo Zhang (alias Chokan) who allegedly directed extensive international money laundering operation. Operated from Bogotá and Valle del Cauca, established organization's central infrastructure.
Money laundering
Third cooperating witness Gabriel Mizzau, public accountant, admitted to simultaneously working for former Judge Marcelo Bailaque and drug trafficker Esteban Lindor Alvarado. Confessed to money laundering 2014-2018 through two shell companies belonging to Alvarado organization.
Trafficking
Isaí 'N' (alias 'El Chinacate'), identified as alleged nephew of drug trafficker Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán Loera, was arrested in Nogales, Sonora. He faces charges related to organized crime and drug trafficking, with an active extradition order to the United States.
Trafficking
André Oliveira Macedo (alias 'André do Rap'), one of the main leaders of Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), one of Brazil's largest criminal organizations, was arrested in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Money laundering
Colombia's National Police executed on May 26, 2026, Operation Nemesis Plus, an asset forfeiture action on property valued at more than 24,934 million Colombian pesos in Bogotá, Cúcuta, and San Cayetano (Norte de Santander).
Money laundering
After a seven-year investigation, authorities dismantled a criminal organization that transported cocaine from Buenos Aires to Río Negro, with 15 people arrested and more than 100 kilos of drugs seized.
Fraud & scams
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales faces multiple corruption investigations spanning his nearly 14-year tenure. The allegations center on abuse of political influence and mismanagement of state resources.
Money laundering
Police detained Leoncio Ramón Mareco, alleged leader of international structure dedicated to money laundering and drug trafficking to United States, arrested in central Asunción.
Money laundering
A firm detected in Managua, Nicaragua, dedicated itself to managing investment funds in virtual assets, tokenization and cryptocurrency exchange platforms, allegedly connected to international drug trafficking networks. The case took ten years to fully develop.
Money laundering
DOJ unsealed an indictment charging Ruhuan Zhen and Hongce Wu, both Chinese nationals, with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police disrupted family operation in Melilla engaged in money laundering for drug trafficking network. Three arrested (two women, one man) were relatives of organization's leader detained in Málaga during earlier phase.
Money laundering
Paraguay's judiciary ordered preventive detention for former senator Erico Galeano, previously convicted to thirteen years in prison for money laundering related to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Since Monday 19 May 2026, the Marseille criminal court has been trying Félix Bingui, 35 years old, heading twenty defendants for drug trafficking and money laundering around the 'La Fontaine' dealing point.
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL's Operation Ramz, running from October 2025 to February 28, 2026, led to the arrest of 201 individuals, with a further 382 suspects identified, across thirteen countries in the Middle East and North Africa including UAE, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar.
Money laundering
Costa Rica's OIJ dismantled on May 18 a money laundering network linked to drug trafficking in operation 'Caso Lusso', with 17 searches and 8 detained (including a leader with surname Alfaro, approximately 50 years old).
Trafficking
U.S. indictment reveals Turkey served as critical operational and financial hub for Iranian weapons trafficking to Sudan. Turkish exchange houses and banks facilitated fund transfers; defendants advised using Turkish exchanges in smaller amounts to avoid detection.
Money laundering
Hundreds of intercepted Sky ECC encrypted messages expose the inner workings of an international drug trafficking organization allegedly led by Albanian national Dritan Gjika.
Money laundering
OCCRP and 12 partners gained access to over 3,800 files of evidence, police reports, chat logs from French investigation into Sky Global, company behind Sky ECC encrypted phones.
OFAC issued Counter Terrorism and Counter Narcotics designations on May 8, 2026, blocking property and interests in property of certain persons under U.S. jurisdiction.
Money laundering
Following OCCRP's Dubai Unlocked investigation (70+ media outlets, published May 2026), FATF pledged experts will examine findings and consider them in assessing UAE's AML efforts.
Trafficking
Authorities dismantled a sophisticated scheme that simulated legitimate coffee export operations using shell companies, intermediaries and complex financial transactions to conceal illicit money and facilitate drug shipments to Europe.
Money laundering
William R., a Colombian citizen, was detained in Ipiales (Nariño) for leading a criminal organization dedicated to laundering drug trafficking assets through shell companies. He faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal association.
Money laundering
The UAE Attorney General referred 19 defendants, including six registered companies, to Abu Dhabi Federal Court (State Security Circuit) on charges involving illegal arms trafficking, forgery, and money laundering.
Money laundering
UAE Attorney General referred 19 defendants (13 individuals plus 6 companies) to Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal (State Security Division) for unlawful trafficking in military equipment, document forgery, and money laundering.
Money laundering
CHP Istanbul Deputy Fethi Açıkel submitted 11 questions regarding allegations that the Treasury and Finance Ministry is preparing a new asset reconciliation.
OFAC designated Cambodian senator Kok An and 28 individuals and entities in his network for controlling scam compounds throughout Cambodia used for digital asset investment fraud targeting Americans.
Money laundering
Daniel Kinahan, Irish organized crime boss sanctioned by the US in 2022 for drug smuggling and money laundering, was arrested in Dubai on an Irish extradition warrant.
Money laundering
Gabriel Arturo Castillo, 52, of Monterrey, Mexico, pleaded guilty to participating in two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy that moved drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
On March 18, 2026, ACPR and Direction générale du Trésor published updated guidelines on implementing asset freezing measures, replacing June 2021 text.
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL released 2026 Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment and launched Operation Shadow Storm, UK-funded international task force to dismantle scam centers. Report warns AI-enhanced fraud is 4.
Fraud & scams
INTERPOL's 2026 Global Financial Fraud Threat Assessment warns fraud is now central to organized crime, intersecting with human trafficking and cybercrime. AI-enhanced fraud 4.5 times more profitable than traditional methods. Agentic AI systems can autonomously execute complete fraud campaigns.
Sanctions
Bellingcat and The Sunday Times uncovered documents linking ex-UFC fighter Mounir 'The Sniper' Lazzez to multimillion-dollar shipping deals involving crude oil tankers that were later sanctioned by the US government for helping the Iranian regime.
Money laundering
The 2026 US National Money Laundering Risk Report identifies Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as the two main transnational organized crime threats, capable of infiltrating banks, remittance companies, exchange houses, and law firms to recycle billions.
FinCEN issued expanded Geographic Targeting Order to help law enforcement combat illicit activities and money laundering of Mexico-based cartels and other criminal actors along southwest border.
Money laundering
Bellingcat investigation revealed Daniel and Christy Kinahan, leaders of €1.5 billion Kinahan cartel, photographed at Dubai MMA event in June 2025, marking most recent sighting since U.S. government placed multi-million dollar bounties on them.
Money laundering
Chilean authorities dismantled a money laundering operation called 'Los Monarcas de Cali' that transferred approximately USD 93 million to Colombia. Fifteen individuals were detained: twelve Colombian nationals and three Chilean citizens.
Money laundering
Between January 2015 and December 2025, Peru's financial intelligence system confirmed that illegal mining became the country's primary source of money laundering. USD $11,969.
Money laundering
René Arzate-García, also known as 'La Rana,' 42, alleged Tijuana plaza boss for Sinaloa Cartel, charged with narcoterrorism and material support of terrorism related to trafficking fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana into United States. U.S.
Fraud & scams
The Peruvian Public Ministry is investigating representatives from eight companies accused of operating an illegal mining operation.
Money laundering
Wenshen Xu, 52, a Honduras-based Chinese national, pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, conspiring to launder money derived from drug trafficking, and providing material support to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
Money laundering
The Kuwaiti Public Prosecution opened investigations into hundreds of agricultural holdings granted between 2017-2020 on suspicion of corruption and abuse of office.
Money laundering
Yan Lin, 41, California, charged with conspiracy to launder money derived from fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine sales for Mexico-based drug traffickers (March 2022-October 2024).
Money laundering
Indictments filed against 'Abu Latif' and 'Hariri' crime organizations in 2026. Charges against Nidal Abu Latif and ten other senior members include extortion with threats, conspiracy, and money laundering.
Money laundering
Dubai's highest court rejected final appeal by businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni (also known as Abu Sabah), upholding five-year jail sentence for laundering Dh180 million in Bitcoin proceeds from UK drug trafficking and tax evasion. Court waived Dh150 million fine as assets already seized.
Money laundering
Dubai Court of Cassation issued a final ruling in the high-profile money laundering case against businessman Balvinder Singh Sahni ('Abu Sabah') and 32 co-defendants.
FinCEN announced multi-tiered operation targeting more than 100 U.S. money services businesses (MSBs) operating along southwest border for potential non-compliance with AML regulations.
Money laundering
On December 18, 2025, authorities conducted searches at the residences of Rachida Dati in Paris, as well as at the Paris 7th arrondissement city hall and the Culture Ministry.
Money laundering
Comunicaciones Celulares S.A., doing business as TIGO Guatemala, entered into a two-year deferred prosecution agreement and paid $118 million ($60 million fine and $58.2 million in forfeiture) to resolve charges of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA.
Money laundering
ICIJ's trailblazing analysis revealed that as recently as July 2025, Huione Group, a Cambodian financial institution flagged by U.S. authorities as a 'primary money laundering concern,' sent about a million dollars worth of tether a day to accounts at Binance.
Money laundering
Chen Zhi, founder and chairman of Prince Holding Group, charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy for directing forced-labor scam compounds across Cambodia engaged in 'pig butchering' cryptocurrency fraud.
Bribery & corruption
Former Culture Minister Rachida Dati will face trial from September 16-28, 2026, on corruption charges. She is accused of receiving €900,000 between 2010-2012 from RNBV (Renault-Nissan subsidiary) for consulting work allegedly never performed, while serving as European Parliament member.
Money laundering
Dubai Public Prosecution referred defendants to Criminal Court facing charges of possessing illicit funds totaling Dh461 million ($125 million), plus forgery of official documents.
Money laundering
NCA Operation Destabilise exposed two Russian-speaking networks, Smart (led by Ekaterina Zhdanova) and TGR (led by George Rossi/Maksakov), laundering billions for Russian elites, cybercriminals, drug gangs, and firearms smugglers.
US and UK uncovered international money laundering network (Smart and TGR companies) operating in 30 countries, coordinated from Moscow, London, and Dubai. Networks helped Russian elites evade sanctions and laundered billions for drug traffickers, financial criminals, and foreign spies.
FinCEN assessed a record $1.3 billion penalty against TD Bank for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act - the largest penalty against a depository institution in U.S. Treasury and FinCEN history.
Money laundering
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment against Audias Flores Silva, a high-ranking CJNG leader, on charges including money laundering conspiracy.
Money laundering
French and Romanian authorities arrested 13 people suspected of laundering at least €306 million ($364 million) in proceeds from drug trafficking and other crimes.
On June 25, 2025, FinCEN identified three Mexico-based financial institutions as primary money laundering concerns, accused of processing millions in transactions linked to Mexican drug cartels.
Treasury sanctioned criminal operators and money launderers for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, targeting cash-to-crypto laundering networks tied to fentanyl trafficking.
Fraud & scams
The UK announced sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to Cambodia's Prince Group, widely alleged to have operated a network of scam centers built on forced labor and human trafficking.
Trafficking
An OCCRP investigation found that two companies awarded security contracts at Mexico City International Airport—SERPROSEP SA de CV and Armour King SA de CV—have connections to individuals suspected of firearms trafficking to drug cartels.
Money laundering
South American drug lord Sebastian Marset, in court filings, alleges that two federal agents attempted to extort millions of dollars in cryptocurrency from him.
Money laundering
French and Italian authorities, coordinated by Eurojust and Europol together with Kosovar authorities, seized criminal assets worth EUR 1 million in an investigation into an international money laundering network that uses gold bars to launder drug trafficking profits.
FinCEN issued a Joint Advisory on Non-Work Authorized Populations and Their Employers and Risks to the Integrity of the U.S.
Following a June 16, 2026 operation in Cassis involving 120 gendarmes and police, twelve people were arrested and five formally charged on June 18 with money laundering, organized undeclared work, human trafficking, and fraud against public authorities.
Trafficking
Federal Investigation Agency conducted operations across different areas of Nawabshah, apprehending six suspects involved in drug smuggling and illegal money transfer (hawala-hundi). Among those arrested was a junior clerk from SSP Sanghar's office.
Money laundering
A coordinated France-Belgium operation dismantled a money laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
On June 9, 2026, the specialized inter-regional jurisdiction (JIRS) of Marseille ordered a judicial operation to dismantle an organized money laundering network. Thirteen individuals were arrested.
Money laundering
Albania's Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) investigation targets individual involved in land sales for luxury resort in protected Vjosa-Narta lagoon.
Fraud & scams
The U.S. Treasury Department announced a new package of sanctions targeting nine individuals and 26 companies associated with Cambodia's Prince Group, accused of engaging in cyber-scams and forced labor.
OFAC sanctioned nine individuals and 26 entities linked to Prince Group TCO, including TCO leadership (Hu Xiaowei, described as 'second-in-command'), investors in scam compounds, and front companies across British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, Thailand, and Cambodia.
Fraud & scams
In January 2025, a pharmacist was sentenced by the Cherbourg court to one year imprisonment (electronic monitoring), two years suspended, 50,000 euros fine, and confiscation of 947,000 euros in assets for defrauding the CPAM of la Manche of 1,510,362.47 euros.
Alibaba Group and its U.S. payment processor AUS Merchant Services agreed to pay $600 million to resolve DOJ allegations that they failed to prevent the sale of over $200 million in illegal pharmaceuticals, controlled chemicals, and counterfeiting equipment between 2016 and 2024.
OFAC designated six targets connected to Cartel del Noreste (CDN), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. Action targeted Casino Centenario in Nuevo Laredo (two miles from U.S. border) and Diamante Casino in Tampico, which CDN allegedly used for money laundering and as drug stash houses.
Money laundering
The European Commission and High Representative Kaja Kallas proposed a new EU sanctions regime targeting migrant smuggling, human trafficking, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering.
FinCEN recognized seven cases that effectively used Bank Secrecy Act data to support criminal prosecutions, including the TD Bank case that resulted in almost $3.1 billion in penalties (the largest BSA penalty in U.S. history), a Backpage.
OFAC designated 11 individuals and two entities connected to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel for their roles in laundering drug proceeds, adding six Ethereum addresses to the SDN list.
Nine defendants were convicted in U.S. District Court in Dayton, Ohio after lead defendant Alex Garnett, 49, of Mason, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as wire fraud.
Fraud & scams
UK sanctioned entities linked to Cambodia's Prince Group for operating vast online fraud network. #8 Park (operated by Legend Innovation Co.) allegedly holds up to 20,000 trafficked workers forced into cryptocurrency fraud schemes. Xinbi, a Chinese-language Telegram marketplace, processed over $19.
Money laundering
Egyptian authorities detained prominent businessman Sabri Nakhnoukh (63), head of Falcon Group private security, and froze his assets on allegations of leading an organized crime syndicate involved in money laundering, theft, and illegal weapons possession.
A federal jury found Cesar Cervantes, 52, of Tucson, Arizona, guilty on June 23, 2026 on all counts for his role in leading narcotics and money laundering conspiracies and distributing five kilograms or more of cocaine tied to Cincinnati operations.
Fraud & scams
Nomma Zarubina, 35, sentenced to 14 months in prison for lying to FBI about ties to Russia's FSB intelligence agency and naturalization fraud related to interstate prostitution trafficking. FSB handlers assigned her codename 'Alyssa' and directed her to attend 2021 St.
Money laundering
Europol published its latest report on June 26, 2026, analyzing over 700 criminal networks with more than 400,000 members from 118 countries.
OFAC designated over 50 Mexican individuals and entities connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), marking its largest action ever against this organization. The action targeted CJNG's leadership structure, including new leader Juan Carlos Gonzalez (a.k.a.