Overview

• A US Treasury report confirms China and Mexico as primary facilitators of a global financial network enabling fentanyl trafficking.
• The report reveals 1,246 suspicious transactions in 2024, totaling $1.4 billion, linked to the fentanyl trade.
• Traffickers exploit wire transfers, casinos, e-commerce, cash transactions, and online platforms to launder money and finance operations.
• Chinese suppliers use e-commerce for chemical sales, while Mexican cartels rely on front companies, money mules, and US intermediaries.
• Payment memos with drug-related euphemisms and cartel strongholds in Jalisco and Sinaloa were key in identifying suspicious activities.