Takes the first actions under the end of the Fentanyl Act
WASHINGTON – Today, the US Department of the Financial Treasury Crimes Infrew Network (Fincen) has issued orders identifying three financial institutions based in Mexico –Tacks SA, Banca Multiple Institution (Bin),, Intercam Banco SA, Instutución de Banca Multiple (intercamet)And Vector Casa de Bolsa, SA CV (Vector) – as primary concern of money laundering in relation to illicit opioid trafficking, and respectively prohibit certain transmitted funds involving CIBANCO, INTERM and VECTOR. These ordinances are the first actions of Fincen in accordance with the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and the Fentanyl Act, which provides the cash with additional authorities to target money laundering associated with fentanyl traffic and other synthetic opioids, including by cartels.
Cibanco and Interam, commercial banks with more than $ 7 and $ 4 billion in total assets, and Vector, a brokerage company managing almost $ 11 billion in assets, have collectively played a long -standing and vital role in the laundering of millions of dollars for Mexico cards necessary to produce Fentanyl.
“Financial facilitators like Cibanco, Intercam and Vector allow the poisoning of countless Americans by moving money on behalf of cartels, making it vital cogs in the fentanyl supply chain,” said Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. “Thanks to the first use of this powerful authority, today’s actions affirm the commitment of the Treasury to use all the tools at our disposal to counter the threat posed by criminal and terrorist organizations of fentanyl and other narcotics.”
These measures have been taken in the general context of the strong American-mexic intergovernmental relationship, the characteristics of which include close collaboration and a time exchange of information. The United States and Mexico are attached to financial systems with strong anti-whiteness controls / Terrorism financing (AML / CFT) which effectively protect their citizens from illegal financial threats to fentanyl traffic and other drugs.
Bin
As set in the order, Fincen Determined that Heavenly, A Foreign Financial Institution Operating Outside the United States, is of Primary Money Laundering concern in connection with illegit opioid trafficking based on its long-standing pattern of associations, transactions, and provision of financial services that facilitate illicit OPIOID TRAFFICKING by Mexico-Based Cartels, Including the Beltran-Leyva CARTEL, JALISCO NEW GENERATION CARTEL (CJNG), and GULF CARTEL. Cibanco also facilitated the purchase of chemical precursors from China for illicit purposes.
For example, an employee of Lebanese in 2023 knowingly facilitated the creation of an account to whiten $ 10 million in the name of a member of the Gulf cartel. From 2021 to 2024, Cibanco treated more than $ 2.1 million in payments in the name of Mexico companies to Chinese companies that have sent chemical precursors to Mexico to illicit purposes.
A copy of the Fincen Cibanco command is available here.
Interca
As indicated in order, Fincen determined that Intecam, a financial institution operating outside the United States, is of a main concern for money laundering in relation to the traffic of illicit opioids because of its long-standing model of associations, transactions and financial supplies which facilitate the traffic of opioids illegal by cjng, including CJNG. Intercam has also dealt with the transfers of funds denominated by the USD which finance the purchase of precursor chemicals from China on behalf of drug trafficking organizations for illicit purposes.
For example, Intercam leaders at the end of 2022 have encountered alleged members of the CJNG directly to discuss silver money laundering diets, including the transfer of funds from China. From 2021 to 2024, a Chinese company associated with an individual to ship chemicals from China precursors to Mexico for illicit purposes received more than $ 1.5 million in Mexico companies via Interam.
A copy of the Fincen Intercam command is available here.
Vector
As indicated in order, Fincen determined that Vector, a financial institution operating outside the United States, is of a primordial concern of money laundering in the context of illegal opioid traffic because of its facilitation of money laundering activities based in Mexico, including the Sinaloa cartel and the Gulf cartel. Vector has also made it easier to buy chemical precursors from China for illicit purposes.
For example, from 2013 to 2021, a silver mule of the Sinaloa cartel used various methods to whiten $ 2 million in the United States in Mexico via Vector. In addition, the prescription describes how from 2018 to 2023, Vector was found to have made more than a million dollars in payments in the name of Mexico companies to Chinese companies known for having sent chemical precursors to Mexico to illicit purposes. These payments illustrate significant failures in Vector AML / CFT controls.
A copy of the fincen vector command is available here
The fight against drug cartels and stopping the flow of fatal drugs in the United States is one of the highest priorities in the Trump administration. In January 2025, President Trump published a decree creating a process by which certain cartels and other organizations would be appointed as foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) and / or specially designated global terrorists (SDGT). Consequently, in February, the American Treasury and State departments have appointed eight organizations, including six main drug cards based in Mexico, as Ftos and SDGTS, including CJNG, Gulf Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel. Today’s actions complete these designations, as an additional step to refuse individuals and entities associated with access to cartels to the American financial system.
As described in fincen orders, covered financial institutions are prohibited from engaging in funds or vector -to -vector, or or to any account or convertible virtual currency administered by or in the name of CEBANCO, INTERCAM or VECTOR. These prohibitions come into force 21 days after the publication Federal register.
All questions about these orders must be sent to www.fincen.gov/contact.
Frequently asked questions are available here.
