On November 28, I was honored to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The title of the hearing was "Modernizing AML Laws to Combat Money Laundrng and Terroroist Financing."   I wanted the testimony to be hard hitting.  I used the governent's own metrics to show that "total failure is just a decimal point away."  The testimony is availble under the articles section of this website and the Senate Judiciary Committee website.  A video of the entire hearing is also available at the Senate Judiciary Committee website.   See the link to my written statement here:
www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Cassara%20Testimony.pdf

The following article published in today's Weekly Standard gives an excellent example of trade-based value transfer via Iranian carpets.  It is undoubtedly part of a Iranian / U.S. hawala network.   I'm quoted.  Too often we talk about how this happens in theory.  This is a specific example.  It's good reporting and good reading.
www.weeklystandard.com/rug-money/article/2010509

I have become increasingly concerned that the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms is not focusing on part of its core mission - illiit tobacco.  In an article I wrote that was published today by Federal News Radio, I make the argument why combating illicit tobacco is so important.  I also urge that ATF should be restored to the Department of Treasury.  The link to the article can be found in the Articles section of this website or you can find it here:
federalnewsradio.com/commentary/2017/10/its-time-for-the-atf-to-refocus-its-mission/

A report I authored was released today by the FACT Coalition; by looking at available data, an argument can be made that international money laundering efforts are a decimal point away from total failure.   

thefactcoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Countering-International-Money-Laundering-Report-August-2017-FINAL.pdf

Tough words but they need to be said so we can develop a new strategy and tactics.

There is a lot in the news this week about a possible government shutdown that is tied to funds to build "the wall."   What is missed in the discussion is the approximately $20 billion a year in drug cash that goes south across our southern boder every year into Mexico.   We currently seize less than one percent of the drug money.  If we could increase the seizure rate to say five percent, within fifteen years the wall would be paid for.   This proposal should be politically acceptable to both Washington, D.C. and Mexico City.  There are a few straight forward steps we have to take to increase our drug cash seizure rate.  All are straight forward and are revenue generating.  I detail them in an article that is published in today's (April 25th) American Thinker.

An article I wrote on hawala and possible countermeasures was published today in The Cipher Brief.  See "articles" on this website for the unedited version.  Here is a direct link to the published article: www.thecipherbrief.com/article/middle-east/minimizing-abuse-hawalas-1089

Lost in the discussion of "the wall," is the the other side of the equation; i.e. people and contraband flood north but illicit proceeds in the form of bulk cash go south.  The estimates vary but a safe number seems to be about $20 billion a year in untaxed dollars are smuggled across our southern border.  Currently, we are able to intercept, seize and forfeit less than 1% of that total; in other words we seize a Geroge Washington quarter for every $100 Benjamin note that goes south!  If we could increase our interception rate by 5 - 10 % in a few years we could pay for the wall.   I wrote a policy paper on this with all of the supporting background information and tried with little success to get it into the hands of the Trump administration.  I also tried repeatedly (and failed) to get a lengthy article published.  I shorter/revised version appears in today's Washington Times.  See the article section in my website and/or this link:
www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/feb/27/ready-billions-for-the-wall/

As we are getting closer and closer to the Presidential election, I am becoming increasingly concerned about the overt and at-times heavy handed politicization of the federal civil service.  We have heard a lot in recent years about political influence at the Departments of Justice, State, and Homeland Security.   It is also happening at Treasury.   I turned a blog post on the subject into an article that was published today in the American Thinker.  It is posted on this website under "articles"  and the link is here:
 http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/10/deft_diplomacy_results_in_the_politicization_of_the_treasury_department.html