U.S. to Designate Venezuelan Government as Terror Group, Blockade Sanctioned Oil Tankers
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to designate Venezuela’s government a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” (FTO) and ordered a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers moving into and out of the country.
Widespread Chinese Ad Fraud is a Boon for Meta’s Bottom Line
The social-media giant Meta has tolerated widespread advertising fraud tied to Chinese customers in order to protect billions of dollars in revenue, even after internal teams repeatedly flagged the activity as problematic, Reuters reported.
In Fiscal 2025, IRS-CI Saw Sharp Rise in Tax Fraud and Other Financial Crimes
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) division identified $10.6 billion in tax and other financial crimes in the federal fiscal year ending September 30, a rise of nearly 16% from the prior year.
Plus Ultra Airline Probed for Alleged Ties to Venezuela Money-Laundering Network
Spanish prosecutors are investigating whether Madrid-based airline Plus Ultra used a €53-million Covid-era bailout to launder money embezzled from Venezuela through a web of companies in France, Switzerland and Spain, according to a report in El País.
Ex-Bolivian President Luis Arce Arrested in Corruption Probe
Former Bolivian President Luis Arce was arrested on Wednesday as part of a sweeping corruption investigation, just a month after conservative President Rodrigo Paz took office and ended two decades of left-wing rule, according to the Associated Press.
Argentine Police Raid Football Association and Dozens of Clubs in Dirty-Money Probe
Federal police raided the headquarters of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and more than 30 soccer clubs as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering involving a key sponsor of the game, CNN said.
Mexico Ex-Governor Duarte Expected to Face Money Laundering Charges
Mexican federal authorities have taken former Chihuahua governor César Duarte back into custody, preparing to charge him with laundering public funds allegedly diverted while he was in office, according to the Associated Press.
Israel’s Elbit Systems Suspended by NATO Agency Amid Corruption Probe
Israel’s largest defense company, Elbit Systems, has been suspended by NATO’s procurement arm and barred from bidding for work amid a widening corruption investigation into alleged bribery around military contracts.
In U.S. Migrant Crackdown, a Renewed Focus on Cross-Border Remittances
The United States is tightening its oversight of the tens of billions of dollars resident and undocumented migrants send home each year through Western Union, MoneyGram, and other money services businesses (MSBs), according to a recent U.S. Treasury Department warning.
Mexico Freezes Funds of Miss Universe Co-Owner in Organized-Crime Probe
Mexico’s anti-money laundering unit has frozen the bank accounts of Raúl Rocha Cantú, the Mexican co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, as authorities investigate alleged links to drug, fuel and arms trafficking, the Associated Press reported.