Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

$94 Million Money Laundering Settlement Will Help Fight The Problem

$94 Million Money Laundering Settlement Will Help Fight The Problem
A $94 million settlement will help fight money laundering across the U.S-Mexico border. Local law enforcement agencies will be able to apply for the funds.

A $94 million settlement will help fight money laundering across the U.S-Mexico border. Local law enforcement agencies will be able to apply for the funds.

The settlement resolves claims that Western Union was not doing enough in Arizona to prevent people from abusing its services.

The Arizona attorney general's 10-year investigation found people used Western Union to funnel cash to drug, weapon and human smugglers in the U.S. and Mexico.

Advertisement

$50 million of the settlement will be used to combat money laundering through a coalition that includes California and the other U.S. border states.

Gary Schons is with the attorney general's office in San Diego. He says the big money laundering problem in California is bulk cash. "You know, on someone's back or stuffed into a truck. I think what we're going to see is the money derived from this settlement is going to be directed at attacking hard cash flows into Mexico."

Settleement money will also be used to train Mexican law enforcement.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.