FinCEN Alert on Cross-Border Transfers Involving Illegal Aliens and Cartels

FinCEN Advisories

Published November 28th, 2025

Detected March 13th, 2026

Summary

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert urging Money Services Businesses (MSBs) to be vigilant in detecting and reporting suspicious activity related to cross-border funds transfers involving individuals without legal status in the U.S. This alert is part of efforts to prevent the exploitation of the U.S. financial system by illegal aliens and criminal organizations.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

FinCEN has issued an alert (FIN-2025-Alert003) to Money Services Businesses (MSBs) to enhance vigilance in identifying and reporting suspicious cross-border funds transfers involving individuals without legal status in the United States. This notice highlights the connection between such transfers and illicitly obtained funds, aligning with Executive Order 14159 which addresses national security and public safety threats posed by illegal aliens and emphasizes dismantling human smuggling networks. The alert also references previous actions, including Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs) along the Southwest border and advisories on cartel-related financial activities.

MSBs are instructed to reference this alert by including the key term "FIN-2025-Alert003" in their Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). While this alert does not impose new regulatory requirements, it serves as a critical reminder for MSBs to strengthen their compliance programs and reporting mechanisms to detect and report potentially illicit financial activities associated with illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations, particularly those operating across the U.S.-Mexico border. Failure to report suspicious activity can lead to regulatory scrutiny and penalties.

What to do next

Review internal policies and procedures for detecting and reporting suspicious cross-border funds transfers involving individuals without legal status.
Ensure staff are trained on the indicators of illicit financial activity related to illegal immigration and cartel operations.
Include the key term "FIN-2025-Alert003" in all relevant Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs).

Source document (simplified)

1. 31C.F.R.§1010.100(ff).2. See31C.F.R.§1010.100(w). 3. AsusedinthisAlert,“illegalaliens”doesnotinclude:(1)U.S.citizensornationals;(2)lawfulpermanentresidentsoftheUnitedStates;(3)alienswhosepresenceintheUnitedStatesisauthorizedbyavisaorotherpermissiontolegallyenterandremainintheUnitedStatesandhavenotexceededtheirauthorizationtoremainintheUnitedStates;or(4)alienswhoseemploymentintheUnitedStatesisauthorizedbystatuteorregulationorwhoareotherwisespecificallyauthorizedtobeemployedintheUnitedStates.4. ExecutiveOrder14159,Protecting the American People Against Invasion,90FR8443(issuedJan.20,2025;publishedJan. 29,2025).5. ExecutiveOrder14157,Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists,90FR8439(issuedJan.20,2025;publishedJan.29,2025);DepartmentofState,Foreign Terrorist Organization Designations of Tren de Aragua, Mara Salvatrucha, Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo, and La Nueva Familia Michoacana,90FR10030(Feb.20,2025). 6. FinCEN,Issuance of a Geographic Targeting Order Imposing Additional Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements on Certain Money Services Businesses Along the Southwest Border, 90 FR 12106 (Mar. 14, 2025); FinCEN, Geographic Targeting Order Imposing Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements on Certain Money Services Businesses Along the Southwest Border, 90 FR 43557 (Sept.10,2025).Inaccordwithapplicablecourtorders,MSBsunderthejurisdictionoftheU.S.District CourtfortheSouthernDistrictofCaliforniaaswellascertainTexas-basedMSBshavenotbeen,andarenotcurrently,requiredtosubmitinformationtoFinCENpursuanttotheseGeographicTargetingOrders.FIN-2025-Alert003 November 28, 2025FinCEN Alert on Cross-Border Funds Transfers Involving Illegal AliensTheU.S.DepartmentoftheTreasury’s(Treasury)FinancialCrimesEnforcementNetwork(FinCEN)isissuingthisAlerttourgemoneyservicesbusinesses(MSBs)tobevigilantindetecting,identifying,andreportingsuspiciousactivityconnectedtocross-borderfundstransfersinvolvingillegal aliens, i.e.,individualswithoutlegalstatusinthe UnitedStates.FinCENisissuingthisAlertaspartoftheU.S.DepartmentoftheTreasury’sefforttopreventtheexploitationoftheU.S.financialsystembyillegalaliensseekingtomoveillicitlyobtainedfunds,includingbymovingthosefundsacrosstheborder.ThisAlertisalsoconsistentwithExecutiveOrder14159,Protecting the American People Against Invasion, whichnotesthatillegalaliens“presentsignificantthreatstonationalsecurityandpublicsafety”andhighlightstheneedto“dismantlecross-borderhumansmugglingandtraffickingnetworks.”FinCENhastakenmultiplestepsthisyeartohighlighttherisksinvolvedwithcross-borderfinancialactivity,particularlytransactionsthatbenefitMexico-basedcartels,severalofwhichhavebeendesignatedasForeignTerroristOrganizations.Earlierthisyear,FinCENissuedGeographicTargetingOrdersrequiringMSBslocatedincertaincountiesandZIPcodesalongthesouthwestborderinArizona,California,andTexastofileCurrencyTransactionReports(CTRs)withFinCENatalower-dollarthresholdthanstandardCTRreportingrequirements.Additionally,FinCENSuspicious Activity Report (SAR) Filing Request:FinCENrequeststhatMSBsreferencethisAlertbyincludingthekeyterm“FIN-2025-Alert003” inSARfield2(FilingInstitutionNotetoFinCEN)andthenarrative.

FINCEN ALERTpublishedanalertonbulkcashsmugglingandrepatriationbyMexico-basedtransnationalcriminalorganizations(TCOs),analertonoilsmugglingschemesontheU.S.southwestborderassociatedwithMexico-basedcartels,andanadvisoryontheuseofChinesemoneylaunderingnetworks,includingthoseusedbyMexico-basedTCOstolaunderillicitproceeds.AccordingtotheBureauofEconomicAnalysis,personalremittancesfromU.S.residentimmigrantstoforeignresidentstotaledover$72billionin2024.Moneylaunderingandterroristfinancingrisksassociatedwithcross-borderfundstransfersvarydependingonfactorssuchasthenumberanddollarvolumeoftransactionsandgeographiclocationoforiginatorsandbeneficiaries. While thevastmajorityofremittancesfromtheUnitedStatesarelegitimateandcanprovidecriticalfinancialsupporttofamilymembersabroad,FinCENpreviouslycautionedthatmalignactorshaveusedlow-dollarcross-borderfundstransferstofacilitateorcommitterroristfinancing,narcoticstrafficking,andotherillicitactivity.MSBsaregenerallyrequiredtofileasuspiciousactivityreport(SAR)foratransactionthatinvolvesatleast$2,000andthattheMSBsknow,suspect,orhavereasontosuspectisrelevanttoapossibleviolationoflaworregulation;thisincludesthecross-bordertransferoffundsderivedfromunlawfulemploymentorotherwisederivedfromfundstheMSBknows,suspects,orhasreasontosuspectwereillicitlyobtainedintheUnitedStatesbyillegalaliens.Assuch,tosupportthefilingofSARsreportingapossibleviolationoflaworregulationconnectedtocross-bordertransfersoffundsbyillegalaliens,financialinstitutionsshouldusetheSARkeyterm“FIN-2025-Alert003”inSARfield2(“FilingInstitutionsNotetoFinCEN”)andthenarrative. For Further InformationFinCEN’swebsiteatwww.fincen.govcontainsinformationonhowtoregisterforFinCENUpdates.QuestionsorcommentsregardingthecontentsofthisAlertshouldbeaddressedtotheFinCENRegulatorySupportSectionbysubmittinganinquiryatwww.fincen.gov/contact. 7. FinCEN,FIN-2025-Alert001,FinCEN Alert on Bulk Cash Smuggling and Repatriation by Mexico-Based Transnational Criminal Organizations(Mar.31,2025). 8. FinCEN,FIN-2025-Alert002,FinCEN Alert on Oil Smuggling Schemes on the U.S. Southwest Border Associated with Mexico- Based Cartels(May1,2025). 9. FinCEN,FIN-2025-A003,FinCEN Advisory on the Use of Chinese Money Laundering Networks by Mexico-Based Transnational Criminal Organizations to Launder Illicit Proceeds(Aug.28,2025). 10. BureauofEconomicAnalysis,International Data: International Transactions, International Services, and International Investment Position Tables,Table5.1,Line18(accessedNov.19,2025). 11. See, e.g.,FederalFinancialInstitutionsExaminationalCouncilBSA/AMLManual,Risks Associated with Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing: Funds Transfers—Overview(2014). 12. FinCEN,Threshold for the Requirement to Collect, Retain, and Transmit Information on Funds Transfers and Transmittals of Funds that Begin or End Outside the United States, and Clarification of the Requirement to Collect, Retain, and Transmit Information on Transactions Involving Convertible Virtual Currencies and Digital Assets with Legal Tender Status,85FR 68005,68007-08(Oct.27,2020).