Mexico’s UIF Withholds AML Data Amid US FinCEN Warnings

Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) has, for the first time in over a decade, chosen not to disclose details about its exchange of anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing data with international counterparts, according to information confirmed to El Universal.

Since 2013, UIF reports have included information on the volume and nature of requests made and received via the Egmont Secure Web—the primary global platform for financial intelligence sharing. However, the latest report covering January to May 2025 omits these details, even though the Egmont network continues to be used.

This change comes amid intensified scrutiny of Mexican financial institutions following the US Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) designation in June 2025 of Intercam Banco, CIBanco, and Vector Casa de Bolsa as major money laundering risks linked to fentanyl trafficking. These actions were taken under the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which classifies Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

Genaro Gómez Muñoz, a member of the Mexican Institute of Public Accountants’ AML and Anti-Corruption Committee, pointed out that the UIF’s recent report lacks Egmont data sharing statistics, a practice consistently reported in previous years. For context, Mexico recorded 130 international exchanges in the same period in 2024.

In 2024, the UIF made 216 transmissions through the Egmont network, down from 276 in 2023, although no country-specific breakdowns were provided. The last year with full disclosure was 2022, when Mexico submitted 198 requests from 40 countries. That year, the United States was the top recipient with 110 requests from Mexico, while Mexico responded to 308 inquiries, including 64 from the United States, 33 from Andorra, 22 from Spain, and 20 each from the British Virgin Islands and Switzerland.

Egmont serves as a cooperative framework facilitating the exchange of financial intelligence among member countries. It does not investigate cases but helps coordinate information sharing, encouraging timely and relevant communication between financial intelligence units worldwide.

Separately, the UIF reported receiving 13.64 million financial reports from January to June 2025 through the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), broken down as follows:

• 4.8 million international wire transfer reports (FTI)

• 6.4 million reports on high-value transactions such as large cash payments and travelers’ checks

• 1.9 million reports from US dollar currency exchange operations

• 8.5 million reports on activities vulnerable to money laundering and terrorism financing, submitted via Mexico’s tax authority (SAT)
   

The UIF’s decision to withhold detailed intelligence-sharing data coincides with growing legal and operational challenges faced by Mexican financial institutions. The US recently granted a 45-day moratorium to the sanctioned entities, pending enhanced bilateral efforts on AML enforcement. Mexican officials continue to stress respect for national sovereignty while engaging in ongoing talks with US counterparts.