A statewide financial crimes task force was given a national award Thursday from the National Drug Control Policy and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program for reaching a $94 million settlement with Western Union earlier this year.
The Arizona Financial Crimes Task Force is made up of representatives from the Arizona Attorney General's Office, Arizona Department of Public Safety, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Phoenix Police Department.
During a six-year investigation, the task force realized people and drug smugglers were using wire companies to move their money across the border, according to a news release from the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
Task force members obtained search warrants and seized more than $12 million over a two-year period.
Several weeks ago, the Attorney General's Office announced it reached the $94 million settlement with Western Union, saying the money would be given to law enforcement authorities in four Southwest border states to help them combat illegal activities along the border.
People are also reading…
Under the agreement, Western Union will pay $21 million to the state of Arizona and $50 million to a nonprofit organization that will fund law enforcement agencies in the other states.
Western Union also must spend $19 million to strengthen its own anti-money-laundering efforts. Between $4 million and $6 million will pay for a court-appointed monitor.
The Attorney General's Office is in the process of creating a border enforcement section to strengthen the efforts of the agency to combat criminal activity along the Mexican border as part of the settlement, too.
"Our office and our law enforcement partners worked tirelessly on the Western Union case for years," said Attorney General Terry Goddard said. "This type of dedication and commitment has allowed us to disrupt the transfer of millions of dollars that would have otherwise flowed into the pockets of the criminal cartels. Those cartels continue to pose a huge threat to the safety and security along the border."
