Trump Administration Targets Cartel Profit Streams Using DHS to Secure Border

The Trump Administration is moving to cut off the profit streams of criminal cartels through the use of the Department of Homeland Security to secure the border. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that FinCEN found over 67,000 suspicious transactions linked to suspected human smuggling, where the cartels reportedly made more than $5 billion. Under the current administration's policies, FinCEN has flagged fewer than 2,000 reports per quarter, compared to an average of over 7,000 during the Biden-Harris era.

The financial data reviewed by FinCEN tracked transactions outside of usual financial institution patterns, including those sent to common migrant routes. While suspicious activity reports were filed in all states, Texas and California led the count, though New York and Florida ranked third and fourth.

The Trump administration is driving a crackdown on immigration, leading to state-level enforcement in Florida involving DHS and Guatemalan nationals.