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Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation
Where To Report Waste Fraud, Abuse, Or Retaliation

ICE Has Limited Ability to Identify and Combat Trade-Based Money Laundering Schemes

Submitting OIG: 
Department of Homeland Security OIG
Report Description: 
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has limited ability to identify and combat commodities imported as part of trade-based money laundering (TBML) schemes. Specifically, ICE does not have automated technology to identify import commodities at high risk for TBML schemes. Instead, it identifies TBML activities through manual searches of import records, which is time-consuming. Funding constraints and competing priorities have hampered ICE’s development of automated capabilities to identify TBML schemes.
Date Issued: 
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Agency Reviewed / Investigated: 
Department of Homeland Security
Submitting OIG-Specific Report Number: 
OIG-23-41
Component, if applicable: 
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Location(s): 
Agency-Wide
Type of Report: 
Audit
Questioned Costs: 
$0
Funds for Better Use: 
$0
Number of Recommendations: 
2
Report updated under NDAA 5274: 
No
Additional Details Link: 
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2023-08/OIG-23-41-Aug23.pdf

Related Open Recommendations

Recommendation Number Recommendation Status Significant Recommendation Additional Details
1 Open No
We recommend the Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations develop and implement a work plan detailing prioritized upgrades to the Repository for Analytics in a Virtualized Environment, Data Analysis & Research for Trade Transparency System, estimated funding requirements for those upgrades, and timelines for implementing the upgrades. The upgrades should include processes to achieve program objectives and respond to program risks such as capabilities to facilitate identifying trade-based money laundering transactions.
2 Open No
We recommend the Executive Associate Director for Homeland Security Investigations conduct an analysis of the Trade Transparency Unit workforce to determine the number of full-time staff needed to accomplish the unit’s mission and convey those requirements to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer for future funding consideration.
Displaying 2 of 2 Recommendations