US crackdown on cartel money-laundering devastates mom-and-pop border businesses
The US tried to stop cartel money-laundering; devastated mom-and-pop businesses
A Trump administration policy requiring border-zone money services to report cash transactions over $200—later raised to $1,000—has crippled small businesses like El Paso's Nachita's Grocery. Owners say the rule, aimed at cartel money-laundering, has instead deterred immigrants from paying bills or sending remittances, and triggered lawsuits citing privacy and Fourth Amendment violations. Courts have blocked it in some states, but the burden remains.
“I don’t think it was to prevent money laundering,” Ornelas said of the policy. “It didn’t look like it from what I was seeing. I was seeing a lot of people who were just not able to pay their bills or not able to send money to their families.”