This paper presents Mexico's detailed assessment report on antimoney laundering and combating the financing of terrorism. Powerful drug cartels, resorting to extreme violence, have extended their activities across various parts of the country, and these activities pose significant challenges to the government. This situation reflects the magnitude of financial and economic resources and power at the disposal of drug cartels and organized crime. The authorities have taken a number of measures to counter the significant money laundering risks connected with drug trafficking, organized crime, and related offenses.

Organized Crime in Mexico takes a hard look at the dire implications of the pervasive and powerful criminal enterprises in northern Mexico, comparing and contrasting the present threat to past issues, including drug and human smuggling during the latter half of the twentieth century. Criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the United States threaten the economic well-being of North America as well as the democratic freedoms of our neighbor to the south. Cameron H. Holmes, an experienced organized-crime prosecutor and anti-money laundering expert, shows how this shift in criminal activity is extremely damaging to North American economies and explains that in order to halt this economic erosion, U.S. policy requires a new strategy, changes in thinking, and new and increased countermeasures. Strategically, we have light-years to travel and little time to do it. Without intervention criminal activity will strangle legitimate business, degrade the Mexican economy, and because the United States itself is so intimately affected, undermine the U.S. economy in turn. Continued prosperity in both countries depends on our joint success in controlling these criminal enterprises. Organized Crime in Mexico examines the new diversification and strategies of organized criminal groups, suggests a series of countermeasures, and places these issues in a global context. What is transpiring in Mexico is part of a larger international problem, and criminal enterprises currently pose new and consistent threats to economies around the world.

This report provides a summary of the anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures in place in Mexico. Mexico has a mature AML/CFT regime, with a correspondingly well-developed legal and institutional framework. Most of the key authorities have a good understanding of money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing risks, and there is generally good policy cooperation and coordination. The financial sector demonstrates a good understanding of the primary ML threats from organized crime groups and associated criminal activities as well as tax crimes, but the recognition of corruption as a main threat is uneven. Financial intelligence and other relevant information are made available by the financial intelligence unit and accessed on a regular basis by competent authorities.

Hidden Fortunes is an expose of the American banking system that focuses on money laundering, political corruption and double standards. The information has been chosen to attack the financial and political machines that support this massive world business at its foundations. The author demonstrates that the so-called war on drags is innocuous and impossible to win by revealing the truth behind the criminal investigations of Citibank and the Senate Committee's case against the Bank of Boston for laundering $1.2 billion of Mafia money. The in-depth information provided should stir readers from any current apathy they may have about the drug war, and restore a sense of outrage.