Pandemic Costing Cartels Millions, DEA Cash Seizures Up 180% in NYC

While the coronavirus pandemic is shuttering businesses, drug cartels are also being disrupted, with NBC News reporting that seizures of cash and drugs are up around the country. 

The recent report revealed that lockdowns across the country have disrupted the flow of the cartels' business and making the illegal activity more apparent. Traffickers are also having a harder time laundering money due to businesses being shuttered, with DEA special agent Ray Donovan revealing that in NYC, cartels rely on "international Asian criminal organizations" to clean their cash. He explained that cartels aren't able to buy American goods to ship to China with drug money in exchange for a hard to trace bank wire from China because of all the shops being closed in the U.S. 

Donovan added that cash has been piling up with the cartels due to this quick laundering method not being available, which has led the DEA to seize over $1 million in cash at a time. Compared to last year, New York City field division’s cash seizures are up 180 percent. In Los Angeles, from March 1 to May 8, seizures of cash have more than doubled from $4.5 million last year to $10 million during the same time this year.  

Source: NBC News