WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reissued a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) to help law enforcement combat illicit activity and associated money laundering by Mexico-based cartels and other criminal actors along the southwest border of the United States. The GTO subjects certain money services businesses (MSBs)—which provide financial services outside of a formal bank—to enhanced reporting requirements with FinCEN.
“Mexico-based drug cartels have flooded our borders with narcotics and poisoned thousands of Americans,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury is continuing to dismantle the cartels. Today’s reissued Geographic Targeting Order will ensure law enforcement has the actionable data they need to follow the money.”
Today’s reissued GTO underscores the Trump Administration’s deep concern with the significant risk to the U.S. financial system presented by cartels, drug traffickers, and other criminal actors along the southwest border. The GTO requires MSBs to file Currency Transaction Reports with FinCEN for cash transactions between $1,000 and $10,000 occurring in specific ZIP codes in Bernalillo, Dona Ana, and San Juan counties in New Mexico, and Cameron, El Paso, Hidalgo, Maverick, and Webb counties in Texas. The terms of this GTO are effective for 180 days after publication on the Federal Register.
The reissued GTO will allow investigators to develop leads focused on combatting the flow of drugs into the United States and associated money laundering activity, and it will allow for increased scrutiny of cash transactions along the southwest border. Further, the reissued GTO will ensure local, state, and federal law enforcement can deny individuals and entities associated with drug trafficking organizations access to the U.S. financial system.
Questions about the GTO should be directed to www.fincen.gov/contact.
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Whistleblower Program
FinCEN maintains a whistleblower incentive program for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and certain sanctions and national security laws. Individuals who provide actionable information may be eligible for awards if their tip leads to a successful enforcement action. FinCEN encourages individuals with relevant information to submit whistleblower tips and learn more about FinCEN’s Whistleblower Program on its website..
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