Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti Delivers Remarks at Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Conference

# DOJ Official Outlines Financial Crime Threats at ACAMS Conference

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti addressed anti-money laundering professionals at the ACAMS Assembly in Las Vegas on September 17, 2025, highlighting major threats to the U.S. financial system. Galeotti identified cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating in Mexico and the Western Hemisphere, Chinese money laundering organizations, and rogue nations including North Korea and Iran as primary concerns for the financial services industry.

Since February 2025, the Department of Justice has taken custody of more than 50 cartel bosses and high-level targets, representing what Galeotti called "one of the greatest takedowns in law enforcement history." Notable cases include Ismael Zambada Garcia, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who recently pleaded guilty to charges carrying a mandatory life sentence.

Galeotti emphasized that dismantling financial networks supporting cartel operations is essential to the DOJ's enforcement strategy. He noted that Chinese money laundering organizations facilitate cartels' fund repatriation and purchase of precursor chemicals from China. This year, his division alone charged or convicted 30 individuals for laundering drug trafficking proceeds, including foreign officials and corrupt bankers.