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Cartels Using Brokerage Couriers to Open U.S. Bank Accounts, Say American Officials
By Colby Adams
printRecent investigations indicate that a number of Mexican brokerage firms are converting drug profits into pesos and using a network of couriers to layer the money in American bank accounts. The brokerages, known as casas de bolsa, are often licensed to conduct foreign exchange services in Mexico and can legally transport more than $10,000 into the United States in one trip, provided that their couriers fill out accurate U.S. Currency and Monetary Instrument Reports (CMIRs) when crossing the border. The sums typically approach $100,000, which is "accurately declared, to the penny," said Thomas Welch, a supervisory special agent for Homeland...
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