https://www.moneylaundering.com/news/fincen-uses-powerful-measure-against-banks-brokerage-in-mexico/

U.S. officials took the unprecedented step Wednesday of simultaneously designating three foreign financial-services companies, all of them based in Mexico, under the Patriot Act after accusing them of handling tens of millions of dollars linked to opioid trafficking.

The designations of Mexican lenders CIBanco and Intercam, and Vector, a brokerage firm, as “primary money-laundering concern[s]” mark the first actions taken by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network pursuant to the Fentanyl Sanctions Act and FEND Off Fentanyl Act, legislation passed in 2019 and 2024 respectively.

“As described in FinCEN’s orders, covered financial institutions are prohibited from engaging in transmittals of funds from or to CIBanco, Intercam or Vector, or from or to any account or convertible virtual-currency address administered by or on behalf of CIBanco, Intercam, or Vector,” the Treasury Department warned Wednesday.

The prohibitions enter into force in three weeks.