Daily financial-crime intelligence · Updated 15 Oct 2026, 23:02 UTC
Money laundering
Twenty-one of twenty-six defendants in a major drug trafficking investigation have accepted a prosecution agreement before trial resumption in Logroño, Spain. The remaining five accused are proceeding to trial.
Terrorist financing
Senator Óscar Villamizar (Democratic Center) filed a complaint with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration against former first lady Verónica Alcocer, alleging connections to drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and terrorist financing.
Trafficking
Authorities dismantled a transnational drug trafficking organization operating in La Guajira and Sucre departments. Thirteen individuals were arrested during the operation. Manuel Teodoro Weeber Castañeda, known as alias 'Isen,' was identified as the alleged principal leader of the network.
Bribery & corruption
Former DIAN (Colombia's tax and customs authority) director Luis Carlos Reyes testified before the Colombian Attorney General's Office about alleged corruption involving meetings with former Interior Minister Armando Benedetti and his mother-in-law, Adelina Covo.
Money laundering
According to The National (UAE), Sharjah Police arrested 33 suspects from 12 nationalities and dismantled four international criminal networks in a major cybercrime investigation. The operation, called 'End of Battle', reportedly involved AED 8.83 billion ($2.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, the United Kingdom issued an asset freeze order on a 30 million pound mansion near Holland Park, central London, belonging to alleged senior Prince Group associate Hu Xiaowei.
Trafficking
Keynin McGee, 27, of Oakland, California, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking a minor in the Eastern District of California on October 14, 2026. McGee met the minor victim in 2021 through Instagram.
Money laundering
Tareck El Aissami, imprisoned since April 2024 and former vice president of Venezuela, faces new charges including embezzlement, illegal trafficking of strategic materials, and money laundering.
Money laundering
Dominican authorities apprehended Reyno Martin Cijntje, 39-year-old Curaçaoan citizen, in La Vega province based on extradition request from Curaçao's First Instance Prosecutor's Office.
Money laundering
Mexico's Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) announced the blockage of 15 accounts connected to suspected money laundering operations tied to the Northeast Cartel (CDN), following U.S. sanctions against four individuals and 11 companies.
The U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, and British National Crime Agency coordinated the first focused international operation against West African scam networks. Law enforcement arrested 28 people (19 in Ghana, nine in Nigeria), rescued 117 trafficking victims, and seized 356 electronic devices.
Money laundering
U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against 15 individuals and 11 companies linked to Northeast Cartel (CDN), targeting financial infrastructure across Tamaulipas and Texas for money laundering through horse racing.
Bribery & corruption
The US State Department's Trafficking in Persons report released October 8, 2026 kept Fiji on the Tier 2 Watchlist, citing failures to secure a trafficking conviction for three consecutive years.
Money laundering
Dutch financier Simon Lendeert Verhoeven, identified as alleged financial mastermind behind Plus Ultra scandal, is scheduled to testify before Spain's National Court Judge José Luis Calama.
Fraud & scams
Major Marvin Rafael Sequera Mendoza, attached to Venezuela's Weapons and Explosives Directorate, faces accusations of unlawfully removing military property and illegal arms trafficking. Military sources allege he was detected selling munitions, explosives, and weapon parts.
Trafficking
The Federal Investigation Agency conducted operations in Karachi and Balochistan, apprehending two suspected trafficking agents—Baber Shahzad and Muhammad Imtiaz Malik—along with 16 prospective migrants attempting illegal passage to Europe via unauthorized land routes through Iran and Iraq, commonly called the 'Dunki' route.
Money laundering
Carlos Alfredo 'Conejo' Martínez, former mayor of Aguas Blancas in Salta province, Argentina, was formally charged as the alleged leader of a criminal organization engaged in money laundering from drug trafficking and smuggling.
Money laundering
Spanish drug trafficker Pablo Campos Maya, known as 'El Pablo,' and 20 clan members were detained and released on provisional liberty on money laundering charges.
Money laundering
German authorities suspect a criminal gang of smuggling gold on a large scale as part of a money-laundering operation. Three suspects were arrested while more than 20 people are under investigation.
Money laundering
Bolivian police discovered two large-caliber firearms, ammunition, bulletproof vests, and other equipment in an official vehicle belonging to Roger Mariaca, the former General Prosecutor of Bolivia. Mariaca is under investigation for alleged narcotics connections and suspected money laundering.
Money laundering
French police and gendarmes questioned approximately 7,630 individuals suspected of money laundering in 2025, according to statistics released by the interior security service.
Trafficking
European authorities arrested nearly 50 suspects from a Western Balkan drug syndicate allegedly linked to murders, kidnappings, and grenade attacks, Europol announced.
Money laundering
According to a Financieel Expertise Centrum report (held at the Ministry of Justice and Security), between 6,000 and 11,000 Dutch properties were acquired using forged mortgage applications.
Fraud & scams
PNG police say a suspected online fraud operation raided in Port Moresby relocated from Cambodia to evade that country's scam center crackdown. Four Chinese nationals have been charged with human trafficking; police rescued 39 Indonesian workers allegedly held against their will.
Money laundering
The Peruvian National Police arrested eight individuals connected to a criminal network trafficking illegal gold from Peru to Ecuador, linked to the organization 'Los Lobos.' The network included four former dismissed police officers and two active military members.
Trafficking
An international crackdown on environmental crime across Latin America and the Caribbean led to 233 arrests and uncovered links between large-scale Amazon deforestation and companies across several continents. The two-month operation identified some 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest.
Trafficking
Geneva-based commodities trader Gerald Metals allegedly paid $48.8 million in 2023 for a tin ore shipment from Brazil. Upon delivery, 129 containers contained only sand instead of the promised mineral.
Money laundering
Costa Rican authorities executed Operation Exodus on 7 October 2026, resulting in the detention of 18 people accused of alleged money laundering related to drug trafficking.
Fraud & scams
Montenegro's Special State Prosecutor's Office asked the High Court in Podgorica to permanently confiscate over 54,000 square meters of coastal real estate and luxury vehicles allegedly linked to fugitive drug lord Radoje Zvicer, the reputed leader of the Kavac clan, and his wife Tamara Zvicer.
Money laundering
Two barbershops from chain W* in Lausanne and Geneva face investigation for allegedly operating to launder drug trafficking proceeds. Authorities seized 156,680 euros and 250,260 francs from a vehicle at Geneva customs in February 2021.
Bribery & corruption
Gabriel Zaliasnik, Chilean Ambassador to Israel, holds the status of 'imputado' (suspect) under investigation for alleged influence trafficking and irregularities in judicial appointments as part of the 'Caso Audios' corruption scandal.
Money laundering
Yolima Johana Murgas Guzmán, identified as the partner of alleged drug trafficker Freddy Castillo Carrillo (alias 'Pinocho'), leader of the Autodefensas Conquistadores de la Sierra Nevada (ACSN), was ordered to jail on money laundering charges.
Money laundering
Bolivian authorities arrested Attorney General Roger Mariaca, 38, on 30 September 2026 in an operation in Santa Cruz. Mariaca faces investigation for alleged money laundering, drug trafficking and organized crime offences.
Money laundering
A 60-year-old Italian woman appeared before Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, facing money laundering charges. She is the sister of alleged 'ndrangheta bosses Rocco and Tommaso Anello.
Money laundering
Colombian and Spanish authorities, coordinated by Europol, dismantled an international drug trafficking organization that transported cocaine from Colombia and Panama to Europe while operating an extensive money laundering scheme.
Money laundering
An investigation into Swiss barbershop operations found economic anomalies suggesting money laundering and labor violations.
Money laundering
Multiple barbershop locations in Geneva and Lausanne are under investigation for alleged money laundering connected to drug trafficking.
Trafficking
Miguel Ángel Solano Ruiz, known as 'Captain Sol,' a retired Navy captain, was charged by the Mexican Attorney General's Office (FGR) with organized crime related to illegal fuel trafficking.
Trafficking
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Gujranwala Zone dismantled an international criminal organization engaged in illegal money transfers and human trafficking.
Money laundering
Experts at Spain's La Toja Forum reported on growing corruption tied to drug trafficking and criminal organizations. Ana Villagómez, anti-drug prosecutor for Andalusia, stated corruption is 'advancing at giant steps' in security forces and infrastructure like ports and airports.
Money laundering
Spain's National Police and Civil Guard dismantled an international drug trafficking network with 27 detainees, sending cocaine to Europe and laundering profits in luxury real estate in Madrid, Ibiza, and Marbella.
Trafficking
OCCRP reports that the European Commission suspended approximately €18 million in budget aid to Sierra Leone, with Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel attributing the freeze to the West African nation's alleged harboring of Joseph 'Jos' Leijdekkers, a Dutch citizen.
Bribery & corruption
OCCRP reports that two video recordings of Uruguayan alleged drug lord Sebastián Marset, captured during his March arrest, surfaced this week and sparked a sweeping law enforcement operation in Bolivia.
Money laundering
Jonathan Yera Pozo, 41-year-old Spanish national, was arrested in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering tied to an international narcotics network.
Bribery & corruption
Róger Mariaca, Bolivia's Attorney General, and Alberto Zeballos, the prosecutor for Santa Cruz Department, are apprehended at Viru Viru International Airport. The U.S.
Trafficking
Video evidence released by Bolivia's Police shows Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset responding to interrogation about communications with Róger Mariaca, Bolivia's former Attorney General.
Trafficking
A criminal investigation was opened at Versailles district court on 1 October 2026 concerning the dismantling of a drug trafficking operation. The investigation concerns the diversion of high-tech pharmaceutical products affecting approximately 40 pharmacies across Île-de-France and Loiret.
Money laundering
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that France's crime-fighting cooperation with the UAE should be replicated by other nations.
Money laundering
Óscar Sánchez, former chief of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the Madrid National Police, faces provisional detention extended to a maximum of four years on charges of drug trafficking, criminal organization membership, money laundering, and disclosure of secrets.
Money laundering
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a money-laundering operation that moved drug-trafficking proceeds between California and Baja California using money-exchange houses to avoid physical transport of cash across the border.
Bribery & corruption
Miguel Ángel Barbero, a brigade-rank officer and head of the Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA) in Segovia, was detained in provisional prison without bail for alleged involvement in drug trafficking, bribery, disclosure of secrets, and membership in a criminal organization.
Trafficking
Spanish Civil Guard agents dismantled a criminal organization trafficking cocaine, cannabis, MDMA, and ketamine across Galicia. Investigation began in June 2023 after discovering distribution activities. Seven accused face charges totaling over 55 years imprisonment. Evidence included 141.
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Money laundering
A 37-year-old man is suspected of orchestrating vast fraud involving over 1,500 fake trainees between 2021 and 2026, diverting approximately 6 million euros from personal training accounts (CPF). Authorities discovered links to drug trafficking networks in Nantes and Rennes.
Money laundering
Michelle Macías Peñarrieta, daughter of José Adolfo Macías Villamar (alias 'Fito'), leader of Los Choneros, was detained in Colombia on September 27. She faces trial in Ecuador for alleged money laundering.
Money laundering
Investigators uncovered an extensive training fraud scheme operating between December 2021 and September 2026 in the Nantes region, diverting approximately €6 million from France's personal training account (CPF) system.
Money laundering
The UAE has initiated its third National Risk Assessment for combating financial crime, employing advanced artificial intelligence to analyze threats across 84 entities from 21 different sectors.
Money laundering
Freddy Chacón, alias El Mexicano, was detained in Medellín, confirmed by mayor Federico Gutiérrez on 26 September 2026.
Terrorist financing
Colombian security forces conducted operations on 26-27 September resulting in the arrest of 19 individuals from criminal organisations and the seizure of 907 kilograms of drugs.
Trafficking
US Coast Guard conducted three operations between 11-16 September as part of Operation Viper Pacific against maritime drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific. Officers detained 13 individuals across three operations.
Trafficking
Guatemala extradited four alleged drug traffickers to US authorities after completing judicial proceedings. The extradited individuals are Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle ('Hielero'), Rudy Leonel Grijalva García ('Caballo'), Ronald Alexys Morales Guerra and Manuel Ignacio de Jesús Velasco Gómez.
Colombian National Police arrested five individuals in Operation Thunder II for operating a transnational smuggling network. The criminal organization marketed fake vacation packages to Mexico while illegally trafficking Colombian citizens to the U.S.
Trafficking
A joint operation between Ecuador and the United States resulted in the arrest of more than 30 individuals allegedly involved in international drug trafficking connected to Mexico's Jalisco Cartel.
Money laundering
Fourteen individuals were charged as part of a joint federal and state investigation into a methamphetamine trafficking organization. Eleven defendants were arrested on September 22, 2026, during the execution of 10 federal search warrants in Marshalltown, Perry, and Des Moines, Iowa.
Money laundering
Guatemala's new anti-money laundering law (Decree 15-2026) entered into force September 17, 2026, establishing unified national protocols against illicit financial flows and terrorism financing.
Trafficking
Miguel Sánchez Altamirano, mayor of Juchitán de Zaragoza in Oaxaca, was detained on September 23, 2026, on arrest warrants for aggravated extortion and crimes against state security.
Trafficking
Miguel Sánchez Altamirano, mayor of Juchitán de Zaragoza, was arrested during a military and federal security operation for aggravated extortion and crimes against state security.
Money laundering
India's Enforcement Directorate uncovered an international drug smuggling syndicate based in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Dubai that allegedly transferred approximately Rs 74 crore in narcotics proceeds through hawala channels to Afghanistan for alleged terrorism financing.
Trafficking
Spain's National Police dismantled a criminal cocaine trafficking organisation operating at industrial scale. The operation resulted in the arrest of 12 individuals held in judicial custody and the seizure of 61 kilograms of cocaine, €222,880 in cash, and 5 firearms.
Money laundering
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested suspects in separate operations targeting illegal currency exchange, hawala-hundi networks and fraudulent visa processing on September 19, 2026.
Money laundering
Mohamed Sanhadji, former logistics and security manager for the French national football team (2004–December 2025), has been placed under judicial investigation on charges including receiving embezzled public funds, active corruption of public officials, influence trafficking, escroquerie, and tax fraud money laundering.
Money laundering
According to a Bellingcat investigation published with The Sunday Times, the UAE cancelled the residence permit of Christy Kinahan on August 31, 2026, following investigative reporting that exposed the visa status of multiple individuals the US Treasury has designated under sanctions.
Money laundering
Mohamed Sanhadji, logistics and security director for the French national football team, was placed under judicial examination on charges including alleged embezzlement of public funds, active corruption of public officials, active influence trafficking involving public officials, passive influence…
Money laundering
Interpol Colombia arrested eight international fugitives who were wanted by seven different countries. According to reports, the detainees were being sought for crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, criminal organization, usury and fraud, among others.
Bribery & corruption
The U.S. Embassy in La Paz issued a stern warning against government corruption linked to drug trafficking, stating that 'Estados Unidos no tolera la narco-política en el hemisferio, y nadie está exento' (no one is exempt from Washington's anti-narcotics policies).
Money laundering
UAE authorities arrested a Swedish citizen suspected of leading an international money laundering network wanted by Sweden and international authorities under an Interpol Red Notice. During an operation coordinated with Swedish authorities, six additional gang members were arrested in Sweden.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police dismantled a money laundering operation linked to a major drug trafficker in the Campo de Gibraltar region. Operation Malibú targeted an individual who had been evading justice intermittently since 2018.
Money laundering
Two men from Marseille are being prosecuted in Paris for attempted fraud against a magistrate. The accused allegedly submitted false documents to a judge in order to recover seized vehicles and avoid pretrial detention.
Money laundering
Frank Mahonri Cruz-Marentes, a 37-year-old Mexican national extradited from Peru in November 2025, pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy involving over $72 million in narcotics proceeds.
Trafficking
Europol supported a coordinated law enforcement operation against a transnational criminal network suspected of trafficking horses across Europe using falsified documents and manipulated microchips to conceal the animals' true identities.
Money laundering
Authorities discovered a clandestine cryptocurrency mining operation in the Sierra Norte de Puebla employed by Mexican cartels to launder drug trafficking proceeds.
Money laundering
Colombian authorities dismantled a criminal organization that allegedly laundered approximately 2.3 trillion pesos (roughly $580 million) through a complex scheme involving shell companies, bank transfers and cryptocurrencies.
Bribery & corruption
The US State Department announced entry bans for seven former Ecuadorian officials accused of corruption linked to organisations designated as terrorist by Washington. The measure was announced during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Ecuador.
Money laundering
Gustavo Pedro Shanahan, a former Puerto Rosario Terminal director imprisoned for drug trafficking since December 2023, faces new accusations of money laundering.
Money laundering
A 26-year-old man is on trial at Grasse criminal court on September 10-11, 2026 for fraud and money laundering. He is accused of contacting victims by telephone while impersonating their banker, obtaining their online banking codes and transferring funds to his own accounts.
The U.S. Department of Justice's Scam Center Strike Force announced coordinated enforcement actions against Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese-language illicit marketplace run on Telegram at the center of Southeast Asia's cyber scam economy.
Bribery & corruption
An investigation is ongoing against Óscar Sánchez Gil, former head of the UDEF (Economic and Financial Crime Unit) of the Madrid Superior Police Headquarters, who allegedly facilitated the entry of at least 73 tonnes of cocaine into Spain between 2020 and 2024, receiving millions in payments.
Trafficking
Italian justice obtained seizure of two ancient vases held by the Geneva Museum of Art and History (MAH) and the University of Geneva. The antiquities, potentially sourced from trafficking, are held by the Geneva association Hellas & Roma, which supplies collections to the MAH.
Money laundering
According to Mike Vigil, former DEA International Operations chief, the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are the primary criminal organizations using digital currencies to launder drug trafficking profits.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police dismantled an underground financial network called 'Banca de Dubai' (Dubai Bank) linked to a 2021 cocaine seizure. The operation resulted in 21 arrests across multiple countries and identified €20 million in criminal assets.
Money laundering
An international drug trafficking investigation has uncovered a clandestine money-transfer network called 'Dubai Bank' that allegedly provided financial services to major criminal organizations worldwide.
Money laundering
Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal network linked to the "Dubai Bank", described as "the world's most important underground bank" that operated to launder drug trafficking proceeds.
Terrorist financing
Five individuals accused of operating a cocaine trafficking network distributing drugs to Central America, the United States and Europe were captured during Operation Troy in three Colombian departments.
Money laundering
Eldrich Boedhoe, a Dutch citizen, was captured in Medellín following a joint operation by international agencies. He faced an Interpol warrant for international drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Roberto Álvarez Vera, known as 'Gerente', described as a leader of Comandos de la Frontera (a FARC dissident faction), was convicted to 13 years imprisonment for money laundering.
Money laundering
Carlos Erick Vazquez Gonzalez, 48, pleaded guilty on September 4, 2026, to money laundering conspiracy involving approximately $4 million in drug trafficking proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency to Mexico.
Bribery & corruption
The commander general of Peru's National Police faces multiple criminal investigations across Lima and Lima Norte districts for alleged corruption-related offenses including influence trafficking, incompatible conduct, abuse of authority, extortion, and failure to perform duties.
Trafficking
The Ticino Public Ministry opened criminal proceedings against a Lugano-based lawyer and a legal professional from his firm. According to prosecutors, the two are suspected of transmitting confidential information regarding the SkyEcc affair that allowed defendants to anticipate arrests.
Bribery & corruption
According to an ICIJ investigation, enforcement actions against cancer drug manufacturers across 31 countries over 15 years resulted in nearly $1.7 billion in combined settlements and fines between 2010-2025, yet these penalties represent only one-third of 1% of the firms' revenues.
FinCEN reissued a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) on September 2, 2026, effective September 3, 2026, through March 1, 2027, to combat illicit activity and money laundering by Mexico-based cartels and other criminal actors along the US southwest border.
Money laundering
The Dominican Republic's Public Ministry formally accused nine members of a transnational drug trafficking and money laundering network dismantled in Operation Leopard. The accused are linked to trafficking of almost 1.7 tons of cocaine and financial movements of over RD$258.8 million and USD 1.
Trafficking
Journalist Héctor de Mauleón reported on an August 24 meeting at a Condesa restaurant that included Andrés and Gonzalo López Beltrán, Daniel Asaf (former presidential adviser under López Obrador), and businessmen Juan Domingo Beckmann and Mauricio Garduño.
Money laundering
Peruvian artist Deysi Araujo has been under investigation for approximately 12 years for alleged money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
Trafficking
Kuwait authorities intercepted and seized drug-laced paper sheets that a French passenger arriving from London attempted to bring into the country. The materials were discovered during airport screening procedures, indicating an attempt to smuggle narcotics using an unconventional medium.
Trafficking
Spanish Civil Guard and Portuguese National Republican Guard conducted Operation Trident, dismantling a drug trafficking organization.
Trafficking
Mauro Ismael Morales Martínez, known by aliases 'Melito' or 'Ojudo', was detained in Teculután, Zacapa, as part of coordination with the Public Ministry for extradition to the United States.
Fraud & scams
Prosecutors allege that since 2019, approximately 935 million barrels of diesel and gasoline illegally entered Mexico without tax payment, causing fiscal damage exceeding 730 billion pesos. Criminal organizations allegedly declared fuel as lubricants or other products with lower tax rates.
Money laundering
Investigators discovered encrypted code on Fernando Cerimedo's seized phone revealing cryptocurrency transfers through a 'cold wallet' totaling over $44 million over six months.
Trafficking
The General Directorate for Drug Control in Kuwait announced the seizure of approximately four million capsules of Lyrica and nearly five tonnes of raw powder used to produce it, in what authorities described as the largest drug manufacturing and distribution operation in Kuwait's history.
Money laundering
A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned an indictment on August 20, 2026, charging Christopher A. Bravo Marin, 46, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with conspiracy to launder at least $750,000 in drug proceeds on behalf of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Trafficking
Spain's National Police arrested the suspected leader of the historic 'Os Fanchos' clan and two other men in A Pobra do Caramiñal, La Coruña. Authorities seized 1,410 kilograms of cocaine and 100 grams of heroin.
Money laundering
Alexander Ardón, a former mayor of El Paraíso municipality in Honduras' Copán department, was acquitted of money laundering charges by a Honduran court. Ardón, who confessed to drug trafficking, had testified as a key witness in U.S.
Trafficking
Spain's National Police dismantled a drug trafficking operation in the Arousa estuary, A Coruña, seizing approximately 1,500 kilograms of cocaine from buildings near beaches with direct access. At least three arrests were made.
Trafficking
Ten members of a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking were arrested as suspected perpetrators of a firearm attack against a Civil Guard patrol vehicle during the early morning hours of August 17-18. Authorities seized two narcotics vessels and 5,926 kilograms of hashish.
Money laundering
In Operation Jericó, a major narcotics investigation initiated June 30, 2023, Judge Kerine Jaén validated five plea agreements on August 21, 2026. Two defendants received sentences of 68 months and 62 months respectively, both required to pay $250 fines.
Trafficking
Spain's Civil Guard dismantled a criminal network dedicated to drug trafficking in A Mariña Lucense in Operation 'Zoco A7', arresting seven people accused of distributing cocaine and hashish in Lugo and Asturias.
Money laundering
Spanish police captured the alleged leader of a drug network through coordinated operations with German authorities. The investigation revealed that the organization 'could have obtained profit exceeding 11 million euros.'
Trafficking
Ecuador's police captured Rubén Bermúdez Loor, 61, a suspect with an Interpol red alert wanted by U.S. authorities on drug trafficking charges.
Money laundering
Four members of a Bronx-based racketeering organization known as the 'War Room' were indicted on nine counts including racketeering conspiracy, violence in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, fraud, narcotics, and money laundering.
Money laundering
National Police and Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency in Cantabria concluded a joint investigation with the arrest of a man and a woman as suspected perpetrators of offences against public health and money laundering.
Portuguese and Spanish law enforcement seized 3.35 tonnes of cocaine, three firearms and two vehicles in Operation Eclipse/Hawara, an international drug trafficking investigation. Three men were arrested.
Bribery & corruption
An investigation reveals that approximately 40 uniformed officers in special units at Guayaquil ports were corrupted by a criminal organization. Colonel Julio Miño del Hierro managed two police groups in strategic positions. Between 2023-2024, the network sent 8.
Money laundering
Mariano Hernán Ruiz (50), described as the organization's accountant and convicted in 2015 as a member of Los Monos drug trafficking organization, faces charges as principal money laundering operative.
Money laundering
José Luis Espert, former deputy of La Libertad Avanza party, filed an expanded 65-page written defense before federal judge Lino Mirabelli requesting dismissal or acquittal in a money laundering case.
Trafficking
Guatemala's Public Ministry announced threats targeting prosecutors investigating organized crime, drug trafficking, extortion, and arms trafficking. The disclosure occurred on August 14, 2026.
Trafficking
Four agents of the General Prosecution of Justice of the State of Mexico were arrested on suspicion of extortion and express kidnapping: Benito N. (57), María Fernanda N. (38), Efraín N. (65) and Mario N. (43). They were apprehended simultaneously in Texcoco and Ecatepec.
Money laundering
Jianfei Lu, 31, a Chinese national, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Rodriguez in the Western District of North Carolina and ordered to forfeit $25 million.
Money laundering
Andrelio Castaño Rojas, 55, a Colombian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in a seven-year scheme involving drug proceeds.
Money laundering
Federal Oral Court 7 has begun proceedings against five individuals accused of laundering over $500 million in illicit funds linked to Brazilian drug organisation Comando Vermelho.
Money laundering
Authorities arrested a 17-year-old gang member nicknamed 'Fantasma' and his mother, Lesly 'N' (38), during an operation in Monjas, Jalapa. Officers seized ten bags of white powder resembling cocaine.
Money laundering
Spanish police, in collaboration with Dutch authorities, dismantled an international drug trafficking organization operating on Costa del Sol. Five individuals were arrested, including the network's leader described as 'the financial architect of Costa del Sol.'
Money laundering
Spain's Civil Guard dismantled a capital laundering network allegedly linked to the Sánchez Castro brothers. Forty-four people were arrested, with 12 held in custody by judicial order.
Money laundering
A Honduran court postponed a hearing against ex-president Juan Orlando Hernández until August 18 following a defence request for additional time to review evidence presented by prosecutors.
Money laundering
Joseph Templeton, 30, of Elgin, South Carolina, was indicted on August 19, 2026, on charges of bribery, money laundering, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Money laundering
Transparency International U.S. criticized the Treasury Department's final rule implementing the Corporate Transparency Act, stating it exempts over 99% of U.S. companies from beneficial ownership reporting requirements. Scott Greytak, Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International U.S.
Money laundering
Mariano Hernán Ruiz, 48, a previously convicted financial operator for the criminal organization Los Monos, was detained for federal money laundering charges.
Money laundering
An international money-laundering investigation into the structure and assets of the Dubai-headquartered Kinahan organisation has been launched.
Money laundering
Spanish Civil Guard authorities dismantled a criminal organization linked to brothers José Carlos and Antonio Jesús Sánchez Castro, known narcotraffickers in the Campo de Gibraltar region.
Money laundering
Spanish Civil Guard, in collaboration with Europol, dismantled in Operation 'Omnis' a financial and corporate structure allegedly used by a criminal organization linked to brothers José Carlos Sánchez Castro and Antonio Jesús Sánchez Castro. The investigation alleged the group laundered over €8.
Trafficking
Honduras National Police reported that Colombian citizens feature prominently among foreign nationals under investigation for financial offences. Between January and 9 August 2026, authorities arrested 56 foreign individuals, compared with 114 during the same period in 2025.
Money laundering
Investigation by FACT Coalition reveals that illegal gold mining has become more profitable for criminal structures in Colombia and Peru than cocaine trafficking. Peruvian illegal gold exports reach approximately $4.
Money laundering
Daniel Kinahan, 49, was extradited from Dubai to Ireland on August 9, 2026, and charged before Dublin's Special Criminal Court with directing a criminal organisation. An Irish Air Corps plane flew him from Dubai to a military airport outside Dublin.
Money laundering
Santiago Orrego Gomez and Daniel Mauricio Gomez Garcia, Colombian citizens, were arrested on August 6, 2026, and accused of directing an international money laundering scheme totaling USD 50 million. They face charges of conspiracy to launder assets, electronic fraud, and bank fraud.
Money laundering
The Spanish National Police dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to hashish trafficking and arrested 57 people in Madrid, Guadalajara, Burgos, Almería, Málaga, and Valencia.
Trafficking
Spanish law enforcement dismantled a major Mediterranean smuggling organization through a joint operation involving the National Police, Civil Guard, and Europol. The operation resulted in 78 arrests, with 27 held in provisional detention.
Daniel Gordiano Valenzuela, 60, a Mexican national residing in Mexico at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money derived from drug trafficking. Valenzuela served as a 'money broker' in an organization that conspired with drug traffickers to launder money.
Trafficking
Costa Rica's government announced investigations into 116 police officers suspected of collaborating with criminal organisations operating in the southern region. The administration highlighted recent arrests of 52 penitentiary staff attempting to smuggle contraband into prisons.
Money laundering
Abu Dhabi's Federal Court of Appeal heard prosecution evidence in a case involving thirteen defendants—including a former Sudanese military intelligence officer—and six companies accused of illicit trafficking in military equipment, money laundering, mediation and brokerage, and forgery of official documents.
Trafficking
Spanish National Police dismantled a Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) methamphetamine trafficking network operating in Spain. The operation, conducted jointly with French authorities, discovered an active clandestine laboratory where members recovered methamphetamine by extracting it from 2.
Trafficking
According to ICIJ and The Indian Express, India's Ministry of Health ordered cancer drug manufacturers to add QR codes or barcodes to packaging by July 2027, following a joint investigation into alleged counterfeit Keytruda operations.
Trafficking
The U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against five alleged senior members of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
Money laundering
Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan, chief executive of MoneyFlip LLC, was arrested in Miami on 30 July 2026. He faces federal charges after allegedly converting approximately 750,000 dollars in drug trafficking proceeds into cryptocurrency through his foreign exchange business.
Trafficking
Former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero filed an appeal requesting that judge José Luis Calama modify a judicial order authorizing investigation of his bank accounts and those of his associates.
Money laundering
According to FinCEN analysis, Mexican cartels are exploiting Chinese money laundering networks to process drug profits from the United States. Approximately $312 billion in suspicious activity reports between 2020-2024 were identified as potentially related to Chinese money laundering networks.
Money laundering
Argentina's Federal Cassation Chamber extended preventive detention of entrepreneur Juan Ignacio Suris for six additional months while he awaits trial on money laundering charges. Judges Carlos Mahiques and Daniel Petrone approved the extension, which began on 8 July 2026.
Money laundering
According to an investigation by Bellingcat and The Sunday Times, Christopher Kinahan Jr, a sanctioned leader of what the US Treasury describes as a $1.
Money laundering
Panama's Specialized Superior Prosecutor for Drug-Related Crimes ordered the arrest of 13 people linked to the criminal structure 'La Mafia Filipina'. Sebastián Enrique Díaz Ángelo, known as 'Toti' or 'Sebas', was identified as the principal leader of the organization.
Money laundering
Leandro David 'Lelo' Pérez, 53, former partner of entertainer Victoria Xipolitakis, was detained in Rosario by the Federal Police accused of money laundering operations linked to drug trafficking.
Money laundering
Weekly intelligence summary covering financial crime enforcement and regulatory developments from July 27-31, 2026.
The EU imposed sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on seven individuals and three entities for serious human rights violations linked to scam center operations in Southeast Asia.
Trafficking
A judge at the National Court authorized the UDEF to investigate multiple bank accounts belonging to former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, his daughters Alba and Laura, and his secretary Gertrudis Alcázar.
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 a report by Ecuador's Organised Crime Observatory, money laundering represents between 2% and 5% of the country's GDP, potentially between USD 3.9 and 6.5 billion annually.
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.
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
According to Infobae, Brazil's Federal Police dismantled a drug trafficking and money-laundering network and arrested nine people.
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.
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.
Trafficking
Arcesio Trujillo, a Colombian citizen operating under the alias 'Viejo Palpatine', was captured during Operation Shark by Peru's National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate. Authorities seized 700 kilograms of high-purity cocaine valued at approximately 21 million dollars.
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.
Trafficking
Federal authorities detained a suspect identified as Justo Aurelio 'N' in Yucatán during coordinated raids.
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.
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.
Bribery & corruption
EyePoint, Inc. (formerly EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) agreed to pay approximately $4.
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
Dominican authorities executed 20 raids in an investigation into a criminal network engaged in human trafficking, sexual exploitation and money laundering.
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
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
Pedro F. J. was arrested at the airport while attempting to board a flight to Philadelphia and faces investigation for customs fraud, smuggling, illegal weapons trafficking, drug distribution, and money laundering in Santo Domingo Oeste. He will be presented before a court to continue proceedings.
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
Nine Venezuelan nationals pleaded guilty to human trafficking, alien smuggling, and money laundering involving a sex trafficking operation based in Nashville, Tennessee motels.
Fraud & scams
The Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security announced that the Trade Fraud Task Force (TFTF), established in August 2025, has exceeded $1 billion in combined civil and criminal recoveries, penalties, forfeitures, and charged losses within its first year of operation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fraud & scams
U.S. government witness Luis Rivera testified about an alleged international fuel smuggling network operating between Texas and 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.
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.
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 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.
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
Brazil's Federal Police conducted an operation to dismantle a criminal organization dedicated to money laundering from international drug trafficking.
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.
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
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
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.
Terrorist financing
A federal grand jury indicted Juan Jose 'Juanjo' Farias Mendoza, 31, and Israel 'Papo' Vega Farias, 37, both from Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, Mexico, on charges related to methamphetamine trafficking and support for a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Trafficking
Bolivia's Senate established a special investigation commission to examine alleged influence peddling by former Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero favoring Peruvian conglomerate Grupo Gloria.
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.
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.
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
Guardia Civil conducted an operation on July 1, 2026 in Cádiz and Sevilla provinces investigating a businessman from El Puerto de Santa María for alleged money laundering of drug trafficking proceeds.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
Turkish authorities arrested multiple INTERPOL-wanted individuals in June 2026, including Afghan national Nazar Mohammad Nazari (arrested June 21 in Kütahya on a Red Notice issued in November 2023), Dutch national Sezgin Kement (detained in Istanbul's Şişli district in early June on narcotics…
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
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…
Money laundering
OCRGDF announced the dismantling of four criminal groups allegedly engaged in money laundering connected to drug trafficking.
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.
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.
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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
Stephany Maryel Villarreal, Panamanian national, arrested in Spain through coordinated Interpol operation. Faces allegations of capital laundering connected to drug trafficking proceeds.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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).
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Trafficking
Twenty-six alleged leaders, members, and associates of the Trinitarios gang were indicted on federal racketeering (RICO) conspiracy charges in connection with five murders and 19 attempted murders in Massachusetts, plus drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, robbery, and firearm offenses.
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
Peru's Public Ministry requested eight months of preventive detention for model Nadeska Widausky, who faces investigation for money laundering and asset imbalance.
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.
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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
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.
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.
U.S. Attorney for Southern District of New York charged JianQing Li with two counts of securities fraud for allegedly trading on confidential information from his employer about at least 12 healthcare companies.
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
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.
Bribery & corruption
The European Union approved a new directive strengthening criminal penalties for corruption across all member states.
Money laundering
Chilean authorities dismantled Tren de Aragua criminal cell that laundered over USD 87 million to Colombia through cryptocurrency companies.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of Knesset approved temporary provision under Money Laundering Prohibition Order extending enforcement powers against illegal wildlife trafficking for first time in June 2026.
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
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
Court of Auditors approved report on Spanish anti-money laundering system (2020-2024), criticizing absence of clear strategy with measurable objectives.
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
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.
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.
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.
Colombia's National Police executed Operation Nemesis Plus, seizing properties valued at over 24.934 billion pesos ($24.9B COP) for asset forfeiture.
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.
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.
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
Paraguay's prosecution alleges Gianina García Troche, ex-partner of drug trafficker Sebastián Marset, concealed illicit drug profits through fake business entities and luxury purchases.
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
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
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
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
OFAC sanctioned 12 individuals and 2 entities linked to the Sinaloa Cartel for fentanyl trafficking and cryptocurrency money laundering.
Money laundering
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former Spanish President, charged by Audiencia Nacional with criminal organization, influence trafficking, and document falsification in Plus Ultra airline rescue case—first time in Spanish democracy a former president charged with corruption.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
The Zurich Cantonal Police arrested five persons in late April 2026 suspected of laundering millions of francs from fraud and drug trafficking via cryptocurrency transfers abroad.
Money laundering
Vaud police dismantled a major international money laundering network tied to cocaine trafficking following a three-year investigation.
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.
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
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.
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
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
On April 14, 2026, OFAC sanctioned six targets involved in a money laundering and cash smuggling enterprise operated by Cartel del Noreste (CDN), one of Mexico's most violent drug trafficking organizations.
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.
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 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.
Sanctions
The UN Security Council renewed the Haiti sanctions regime through Resolution 2752, extending asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargo measures.
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.
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Money laundering
A Bahraini court upheld the conviction of a Pakistani drug dealer who laundered more than BD38,000 through cryptocurrency transactions.
OFAC announced counter-terrorism and Iran-related designations and counter-narcotics designations removals. The action included designation updates targeting terrorism financing and Iran-related illicit activities.
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 21 individuals and 25 entities identified as leaders or facilitators of the Sinaloa Cartel operating out of Baja California.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, Daniel Kinahan was extradited from Dubai and charged with directing organized crime activities in Ireland. U.S. authorities previously alleged the network was involved in international drug and arms trafficking and money laundering.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, a Spanish-led international police operation supported by Europol arrested 78 suspects in Spain and Algeria, allegedly dismantling a violent smuggling network operating across the western Mediterranean.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, Algerian authorities detained Mehdi Laribi, a French-Algerian national allegedly serving as a senior leader of the DZ Mafia criminal organization, on July 20, 2026.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina seized nearly 1.1 metric tonnes of synthetic cathinones with a potential street value of up to EUR 33 million, described as the largest synthetic drug bust in the country's history.
Trafficking
According to OCCRP, law enforcement in Spain and Ecuador dismantled an international cocaine trafficking organization, arresting 44 suspects and allegedly seizing 21 tonnes of cocaine.
Marcos Arturo Kleiman Tronllan, 40, CEO of Moneyflip LLC (formerly MXN Financial LLC), was arrested in Miami on charges related to an alleged murder-for-hire scheme.
Bribery & corruption
The U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 21 individuals and 25 entities affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel. Key designations include Ismael Zambada Sicairos ('Mayito Flaco'), Los Mayos faction leader and dual U.S.
Money laundering
The US State Department designated Zhao Fugang, head of Fiji's Overseas Chinese Service Center, under anti-corruption provisions, alleging he paid bribes to advance China-based interests.
Pegasus Worldwide Logistics, a California-based logistics company and freight forwarder, agreed to pay $175,015 to settle potential civil liability for apparent violations of OFAC counter narcotics sanctions and reporting obligations.
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.
Money laundering
The U.S. Treasury Department announced enforcement actions totaling over $1.21 billion against Bank of America. FinCEN assessed $1.2 billion for failure to report suspicious activity including over $5 billion in undetected transactions related to money laundering and illicit finance.
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.
On 8 October 2026, the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation designated Cryptomus and related payment platforms (Certa Payments, Xeltox Enterprises, Heleket, VexPay, TokenSpot, Tsunami Payments) on the sanctions list for facilitating payments benefiting Russia.
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.
Trafficking
According to INTERPOL, Operation Phoenix, a three-week border security operation across Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Palestinian territory, resulted in 48 arrests including eight individuals wanted under INTERPOL Red Notices. The operation involved over 700,000 database cross-checks.
Belgian and French authorities announced on 30 September that they dismantled an international drug trafficking network that smuggled cocaine and cannabis via Brussels Airport (Zaventem) over several years.
Fraud & scams
According to OCCRP, Papua New Guinea police raided a Port Moresby property and discovered 39 Indonesian citizens believed to be trafficking victims forced to work in a cyber scam compound.
Money laundering
According to OCCRP, a federal judge is considering whether to dismiss charges against Sebastián Marset, who allegedly led a South American drug trafficking and money laundering organization known as the First Uruguayan Cartel.
Spanish National Police, supported by Europol and authorities from the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States, dismantled an underground banking network called the 'Dubai Bank' that financed major drug trafficking operations worldwide.
Money laundering
Spanish authorities and Europol dismantled an international cocaine and money laundering network known as the 'Dubai Bank,' arresting 21 people and identifying EUR 20 million in illicit assets. The investigation began after intercepting a cocaine-laden ship in 2021.
Trafficking
Malaysian police dismantled a drug syndicate and seized over 180 kilograms of MDMA valued at RM 27.5 million ($6.79 million) from a makeshift laboratory. The 52-year-old alleged kingpin, who according to police had drug-related arrests dating to the 1990s, was killed after opening fire on officers.
Trafficking
An undercover Danish police officer posing as a hitman infiltrated a murder-for-hire network targeting twin British brothers in Cyprus. Eight suspects from Ireland, Norway, and Sweden were arrested. The scheme involved $60,000 in cryptocurrency payment.
Juan Romo-Padilla, 58, owner of La Posada restaurant and money remitter in Southwest Detroit, was arrested on September 3, 2026, on charges of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, international money laundering, laundering of represented drug proceeds, and Bank Secrecy Act violations.
Trafficking
Dutch authorities arrested 34 people following a deadly shootout in the village of Overasselt near the German border, according to OCCRP. The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m.
Trafficking
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed a decisive crackdown on hawala-hundi (illegal money transfer) operations and human trafficking networks.
Money laundering
The UAE and Eurojust signed a Working Arrangement on 28 September 2026 to strengthen judicial cooperation against serious cross-border crime, including fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, property crime and cybercrime.
Trafficking
Spanish police, working with German authorities, arrested Germany's most-wanted drug trafficker in Malaga on August 24, 2026, according to the National Police. The unnamed suspect was wanted under a European arrest warrant for drug trafficking and organised crime.
OFAC designated two Brazilian nationals, three Brazilian companies, and one Portuguese company for their links to Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), described as the largest transnational criminal organization in the Western Hemisphere.
Money laundering
According to court filings, attorneys for Sebastian Marset, a Uruguayan national subject of a $2 million US reward, have filed motions to dismiss drug trafficking, money laundering, and narco-terrorism charges.
Money laundering
Five members of an organised crime group responsible for facilitating the illegal entry to the UK of Vietnamese migrants have been sentenced to a combined total of almost 40 years imprisonment following an investigation coordinated by Eurojust involving UK, Belgian and French authorities.
The Financial Action Task Force released its mutual evaluation report for Turkey on 23 September 2026, placing the country under 'enhanced follow-up' due to significant deficiencies in money-laundering prosecutions.
Money laundering
Liberian prosecutors have charged former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering, and criminal conspiracy in connection with an alleged transnational narcotics network, according to OCCRP.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control announced designations targeting a transnational criminal network involved in cocaine trafficking from Ecuador linked to violent gangs and Mexican cartels.
Sanctions
The Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on 15 individuals and entities and identified 10 Ecuador-based fishing vessels as blocked property in connection with a cocaine trafficking network affiliated with violent Ecuadorian criminal organizations Los Choneros and Los Lobos.
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.
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
According to OCCRP, Uruguayan drug lord Sebastian Marset, who styled himself the 'King of the South', was captured by Bolivian special forces in Santa Cruz in March 2024 and extradited to the United States.
Money laundering
According to Turkey's Justice Ministry, authorities detained 24 individuals and seized assets worth approximately $20.6 million in an operation targeting an alleged international drug trafficking network directed from Belgium.
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
According to Ecuador's Prosecutor General's Office as reported by OCCRP, a court has convicted 15 people and 5 companies for money laundering related to international drug trafficking.
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.
Trafficking
As of 10 September 2026, the National Crime Agency reported that more than 100 criminals linked to drug and gun crime in Merseyside have been jailed as a result of investigations by a specialist team formed in 2021.
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.
National Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office (PNACO) entered operations January 5, 2026 pursuant to June 13, 2025 law to combat drug trafficking. Modeled after PNF and PNAT, specialized prosecutor's office centralizes most complex organized crime cases.
OFAC designated two Mexican nationals and nine entities for facilitating a fuel theft scheme involving cross-border smuggling, falsified customs documents, and shell companies linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
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.
FinCEN issued an alert advising financial institutions to detect and report suspicious activity connected to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) and other Mexico-based transnational criminal organizations smuggling fuel from the United States into Mexico.
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.
Rafael Contreras Ramos, 40, of Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in South Carolina.
Treasury sanctioned criminal operators and money launderers for the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, targeting cash-to-crypto laundering networks tied to fentanyl trafficking.
Juan Carlos Suarez-Lugo, leader of large-scale drug operation with ties to Sinaloa Drug Cartel in Mexico, sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Led large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation out of autobody shop in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
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.
Money laundering
A coordinated France-Belgium operation dismantled a money laundering network linked to drug trafficking.
FinCEN issued a Joint Advisory on Non-Work Authorized Populations and Their Employers and Risks to the Integrity of the U.S.
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.
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.
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.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury designated two individuals and nine entities connected to Mexican drug trafficking operations supporting the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
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.
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.
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.
The U.S. Department of State, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, designated Los Tiguerones (also known as 'Los Fenix' or 'Los Igualitos') as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
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.
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.
The U.S. Department of State designated the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs).
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.
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.
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.
An international drug trafficking investigation led by the Spanish National Police and supported by Europol has dismantled a clandestine money-transfer network known as the 'Dubai Bank'.
The U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Gamaliel Garza Elias and related entities as part of counter narcotics and counter terrorism sanctions targeting Cartel del Noreste's horse racing enterprise and expansive criminal network.