Illicit Trade is Emerging as a Top 5 World Economy (GDP) in 2024: Yielding Criminals, Bad Actors, and Threat Networks Between $3-5 Trillion a Year in Illicit Wealth

Across today’s global threat landscapes, criminals, bad actors, illicit networks, and their corrupt enablers exploit vulnerabilities across borders, international trading system, supply chains, retail and e-commerce marketplaces for illicit enrichment, and to diversify, and expand their criminal portfolios and ecosystems of criminality. Lucrative criminal activities enable and fuel multitrillion-dollar illicit economies include the smuggling and…

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ICAIE New Report on How Iran’s Threat and Illicit Networks Finance Chaos and Malign Influence to Destabilize U.S. Interests in the Americas and Globally

WASHINGTON, February 12, 2024 – Today, the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE), a national security non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC, released a new report entitled, “How Iran’s Threat and Illicit Networks Finance Chaos and Malign Influence to Destabilize U.S. Interests in the Americas and Globally“, co-authored by Douglas Farah and David M. Luna. The New ICAIE policy brief…

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ICAIE Issues New Policy Brief on The Growing Harms of Cross-Border Illicit Trade Vectors and Threat Convergence to Canada’s National Security: Urgent Attention and Action are Needed 

WASHINGTON, DC, USA November 27, 2023: Today, the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE), a national security non-governmental organization based in Washington, DC, released a new report entitled, “The Growing Harms of Cross-Border Illicit Trade Vectors and Threat Convergence to Canada’s National Security“, co-authored by Calvin Chrustie and David M. Luna. The ICAIE policy brief and recommendations…

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ICAIE Senior Advisor Doug Farah’s new USIP Research on Russian Influence Campaign in Latin America

Using disinformation, economic coercion, and covert and overt political action, Moscow has sowed anti-US sentiment and weakened democratic institutions in Latin America—a strategic space critical for Washington—while shaping the behavior of Latin American governments in Russia’s favor. This report examines Russia’s strategic interests, objectives, and tactics in Latin America by exploring its use of media…

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Advancing Public-Private Partnerships: Countering Illicit Economies and Crime Convergence – Spotlighting the Victims of Illicit Trade

In the coming months through numerous initiatives, projects, conferences, media interviews, and strategic communications, ICAIE will be advancing public-private partnerships to counter illicit economies and crime convergence, and bringing greater attention to the victims of illicit trade and related harms. Illicit economies are not harmless and can have tremendous human, economic, societal and security costs…

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ICAIE Senior Advisor’s Op-Ed in the Miami Herald: Ecuador at Center of Latin America’s slide into Authoritarianism and Violence

Ecuador at the center of Latin America’s slide into authoritarianism and violence Find a new op-ed by ICAIE Senior Advisor Doug Farah in the Miami Herald, 21 August 2023.  Ecuador will not be the only democratic U.S. ally to become a criminalized state and fall prey to the authoritarian wave crushing the Americas. This is exacerbated…

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About ICAIE: Information and Strategic Overview 2023-2024

The International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE) is a national security-centric NGO based in Washington DC. ICAIE continues to bring global leadership in advancing public-private partnerships to counter illicit economies, criminalized trade, counterfeits, illegal opioids, cybercrime, money laundering/trade-based money laundering (TBML), threat finance, corruption and other criminality.

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Unraveling China’s Impact: Exploring Taxation, Illicit Trade, and the Nicotine Market in theUnited States (Harms to U.S. National Security)

Prepared ICAIE Statement at Briefing for U.S. Congressional StaffBi-Partisan Tax and Trade Staff Association (Ways and Means Committee)Select Committee on ChinaAppropriations CommitteeForeign Affairs CommitteeHomeland Security Committee David M. LunaExecutive Director, International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE)Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC25 July 2023 Over the years, in both my US government and private sector capacities, I…

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ICAIE New Policy Brief – Mobile Payments and Mirror Swaps: Money Laundering Threats That Are Getting Worse (July 2023)

This ICAIE policy brief will summarize mobile payments (M-payments) evolution as a money laundering methodology. The initial focus will be on the use and growth of M-payments and resultant money laundering in the developing world. The policy brief will then describe the Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE) and the introduction of mirror swaps or the…

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New Report: The PRC, Feudal Governors and No Accountability – LITHIUM MINING IN ARGENTINA’S NORTHWEST DISTRICT

This study examines how the government of Argentina has allowed the PRC to take over multiple strategic interests, including the vital lithium trade. China’s ability to create a deeply uneven playing field through corrupt practices and deception, with the complicity of the Argentine national and provincial governments, not only shields PRC companies from fair competition, but also from accountability, environmental oversight and community participation.  Douglas Farah, IBI Consultants, LLC, March 2023.

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