FinCEN: Banks flagged $5B linked to human smuggling

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released an analysis showing that financial institutions flagged nearly $5 billion linked to suspected human smuggling over a three-year period.

Scope: FinCEN said the report analyzed patterns and trends identified in Bank Secrecy Act data between 2023 and 2025, identified several consistent indicators, including unverifiable relationships between originators and beneficiaries, transactions sent along common migration routes, and excessive cash activity conducted along the southwest border of the United States.

Trends: FinCEN’s analysis of 67,540 BSA reports found:

• Suspected human smuggling-related BSA reports declined significantly in 2025.

• Money services businesses filed the vast majority of BSA reports potentially related to suspected human smuggling activity.

• Depository institutions filed fewer BSA reports related to suspected human smuggling activity but had a higher total suspicious activity amount.