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.
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.
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
Chilean authorities dismantled Tren de Aragua criminal cell that laundered over USD 87 million to Colombia through cryptocurrency companies.
Money laundering
Belgian prosecutors opened investigation into Wise Europe over allegations accounts were used to launder proceeds from fraud, corruption and drug trafficking.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Colombia's National Police executed Operation Nemesis Plus, seizing properties valued at over 24.934 billion pesos ($24.9B COP) for asset forfeiture.
Ruhuan Zhen and Hongce Wu, Chinese nationals, charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with Sinaloa Cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Indicted April 24, 2025 by federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia; remain at large.
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
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
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.
OFAC added 3 individuals (Eduardo Javier Islas Valdez 'Crosty', Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez, Jesus Reymundo Ramos Vazquez) and 3 entities (Casino Centenario, Comercializadora y Arrendadora de Mexico S.A. de C.V.
On March 18, 2026, ACPR and Direction générale du Trésor published updated guidelines on implementing asset freezing measures, replacing June 2021 text.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Treasury sanctioned criminal operators and money launderers for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, targeting cash-to-crypto laundering networks tied to fentanyl trafficking.
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.