FinCEN Analysis Shows Nearly $5 Billion in Human Smuggling Funds Flagged

Adam Witmer
BSA, Regulatory Update

On August 13, 2026, FinCEN issued a Financial Trend Analysis showing that financial institutions flagged nearly $5 billion linked to suspected human smuggling over a three-year period. The report analyzed 67,540 BSA reports associated with suspected human smuggling activity filed between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2025

The Analysis found the following trends:

  • Suspected human smuggling-related BSA reports declined significantly in 2025;

  • Money Services Businesses (MSBs) filed the vast majority of BSA reports potentially related to suspected human smuggling activity; and

  • depository institutions filed fewer BSA reports related to suspected human smuggling activity but had a higher total suspicious activity amount.

Read FinCEN’s press release here.

The full FTA can be found here.

Adam Witmer
BSA, Regulatory Update
Adam Witmer

Adam Witmer is a speaker, author, and founder of the Compliance Cohort. Adam has taught hundreds of seminars and training sessions to thousands of bankers throughout the United States and teaches on all areas of regulatory compliance. Adam has written five e-books that he never published, hit a grizzly bear while driving in a National Park, and is an award winning photographer and musician (though he no longer takes photos nor plays any instruments). In his spare time, Adam can be found kayaking on the lake, doing taekwondo with his kids, working on his (project) house, or spending time with his family.

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