FinCEN, the enforcement arm of the US Department of Treasury, is taking an interesting approach to battling nefarious activities occurring the the US. According to a public statement, FinCEN is gunning for Mexican cartels who utilize money services businesses in the Southwest of the country.
Specifically, FinCEN is targeting 30 different zip codes near the US-Mexico border that require Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for anything over $200. The Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) aims to undermine cartel activity, which is known to take place across the country but largely in the border states.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said the GTO was part of a “whole government approach” of combatting illicit activity from the cartels and “Treasury remains focused on leveraging all our available tools and authorities to better identify and counter these criminal activities.”
On January 10, 2025, President Trump designated Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The order stated:
“The Cartels functionally control, through a campaign of assassination, terror, rape, and brute force, nearly all illegal traffic across the southern border of the United States. In certain portions of Mexico, they function as quasi-governmental entities, controlling nearly all aspects of society. The Cartels’ activities threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere. Their activities, proximity to, and incursions into the physical territory of the United States pose an unacceptable national security risk to the United States.”
The policy of the Trump administration is the “total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States.”
The order covers the following ZIP codes across seven counties in California and Texas:
• Imperial County, California: 92231, 92249, 92281, 92283
• San Diego County, California: 91910, 92101, 92113, 92117, 92126, 92154, 92173
• Cameron County, Texas: 78520, 78521
• El Paso County, Texas: 79901, 79902, 79903, 79905, 79907, 79935
• Hidalgo County, Texas: 78503, 78557, 78572, 78577, 78596
• Maverick County, Texas: 78852
• Webb County, Texas: 78040, 78041, 78043, 78045, 78046
The order is effective 30 days after the date on which the order is published in the Federal Register, and the terms are effective for 179 days thereafter.