Mexican officials will extend until February an upcoming deadline for nonbank companies to implement anti-money laundering controls, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.
Bank compliance staff should better scrutinize clients tied to Central America and Mexico's cattle industry following a spate of related U.S. sanctions, say current and former officials.
Plans to attract foreign capital and expertise to Mexico's oil sector could give organized crime groups and corrupt officials an opportunity to layer and integrate dirty money, say industry analysts.
A congressional panel Thursday approved a measure requiring the White House to publicly report on the financial networks used by Iran and Hezbollah in South America to evade U.S. financial sanctions.
Crackdowns on currency exchange and bond swap businesses in Mexico and Venezuela are prompting some U.S. banks to turn away secondary market businesses in Latin America even when they operate legitimately, say consultants.
The use of loan service businesses to cover costs while waiting for payments for goods or services is increasingly being exploited by money launderers based in Latin America, say analysts.
The former owner of a Chilean money services business was sentenced to 42 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $10 million Thursday for sending remittances without state licenses.
The Chilean government has filed lawsuits against four banks it says either negligently or deliberately helped former dictator Augusto Pinochet hide $26 million in stolen funds.
Money services business advocates have been lobbying for state and federal regulators to give guidance on how to deal with unlicensed currency transmitters in Brazil, an effort they say is now paying off.
At least four international banks with operations in the United States are in negotiations with the Chilean government to repatriate as much as $40 million tied to former dictator Augusto Pinochet, an attorney involved with the case confirmed Friday.
Moneylaundering.com has learned that corrupt public officials in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru have been targeted by the "pilot" Task Force of the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.