The United States Department of the Treasury, through its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), has issued orders targeting three Mexican financial institutions for their roles in money laundering linked to opioid trafficking. The institutions identified are CIBanco S.A., Intercam Banco S.A., and Vector Casa de Bolsa, S.A. de C.V. These actions are the first under the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which provides the Treasury with additional powers to combat money laundering associated with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
CIBanco and Intercam, both commercial banks with significant assets, along with Vector, a brokerage firm managing billions in assets, have been implicated in facilitating millions of dollars in money laundering for Mexico-based cartels. They also allegedly helped facilitate payments for chemical precursors used in fentanyl production.
"Facilitadores financieros como CIBanco, Intercam y Vector están permitiendo el envenenamiento de innumerables estadounidenses al mover dinero en nombre de los cárteles," stated Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. "Al usar por primera vez esta poderosa facultad, las acciones de hoy reafirman el compromiso del Tesoro."
The actions reflect ongoing collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico to implement strong anti-money laundering systems to protect citizens from transnational threats posed by drug-trafficking cartels.
FinCEN's orders outline specific allegations against each institution:
- **CIBanco**: Accused of facilitating illicit opioid trafficking by processing transactions that aid Mexican cartels like the Beltrán Leyva Organization and CJNG.
- **Intercam**: Allegedly involved in schemes supporting opioid trafficking by processing fund transfers related to chemical precursor acquisitions.
- **Vector**: Charged with aiding money laundering activities of cartels such as Sinaloa and Gulf Cartel.
These measures align with broader efforts under President Trump's administration to designate certain cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) or Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). In February 2025, eight organizations were designated as such.
The FinCEN orders prohibit covered financial institutions from conducting fund transfers involving CIBanco, Intercam, or Vector. These prohibitions will take effect 21 days after publication in the Federal Register.
For further inquiries about these orders or related FAQs, visit www.fincen.gov/contact.
