Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera, or UIF), the government agency tasked with detecting and preventing money laundering, has frozen 24,662 bank accounts since the start of the current administration, according to newly released figures.
The UIF, which operates under the Finance Ministry, flags accounts suspected of handling money from illicit sources. Officials say roughly 32% of the blocked accounts—nearly a third of the total—were directly tied to organized crime groups, underscoring the scale of financial activity linked to criminal networks operating in the country.
In Mexico, a “sexenio” refers to the six-year, non-renewable term served by the president, a period commonly used as a benchmark for measuring government performance. The tally of frozen accounts offers a snapshot of the current administration’s efforts to crack down on money laundering and the financial infrastructure that supports drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises.
Freezing a bank account through the UIF doesn’t necessarily mean criminal charges are filed immediately; it allows authorities to halt transactions while investigations proceed to determine whether the funds stem from illegal activity such as drug trafficking, extortion, or corruption.
For the full breakdown of figures and additional details, read the original report at jornada.com.mx.
Image: ₡ґǘșϯγ Ɗᶏ Ⱪᶅṏⱳդ, CC0 1.0 (via Openverse).