Happy Monday! It’s February 16, and we’re tracking top stories to start the week: Trump Sanctions Chief Poised to Leave After Bessent Tension, Binance fires top investigators who claim to have uncovered evidence of Iranian sanctions violations, The whiskey trail: how Russia avoids sanctions on alcohol, Crypto-Funded Human Trafficking Is Exploding, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Trump Sanctions Chief Poised to Leave After Bessent Tension. Hurley’s expected departure as Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence follows months of internal tension over the tactics and targets of U.S. sanctions policy. Bloomberg

🔥 TOP STORIES

Binance fires top investigators who claim to have uncovered evidence of Iranian sanctions violations Fortune

The whiskey trail: how Russia avoids sanctions on alcohol The Times

Crypto-Funded Human Trafficking Is Exploding Wired

Iran says potential energy, mining and aircraft deals on table in talks with US Reuters

Guns Or Cucumbers: The Kremlin's Wartime Economy Steers Into Serious Crosscurrents RFE

UK considers new Russia sanctions after Navalny frog toxin finding The Guardian

FinCEN Issues Exceptive Relief to Streamline Customer Due Diligence Requirements FinCEN

Twenty-Seven Members and Associates of Tren de Aragua Splinter Faction Anti-Tren Charged With 2024 Double Murder in New York DOJ

HHS Tries Crowd-Sourcing Medicaid Fraud Detection Wall Street Journal

Virginia company, owner, and senior employee sentenced for illegally exporting millions of dollars of U.S. technology to Russia DOJ

Elon Musk’s X Appears to Be Violating US Sanctions by Selling Premium Accounts to Iranian Leaders Wired

New US Sanctions Bill Aims To Choke Off Kremlin Oil Revenue RFE

US Briefly Names Alibaba, Baidu as Firms Aiding China’s Military Bloomberg

Brazil breaks up China-linked US$190M money laundering ring tied to top crime syndicate South China Morning Post

Dutch Prosecutors Fine Louis Vuitton Netherlands in Money Laundering Case New York Times

Powerful Dubai tycoon replaced after DOJ reveals sexually explicit emails with Epstein CNN

US Treasury sets up website for whistleblower tips on fraud, money laundering Reuters

IMG Academy fined after allowing students with Mexican cartel ties Bradenton Herald

🚀 SANCTIONS

Venezuela oil sales top $1 billion, funds won’t go to Qatar account anymore CNBC

Saudi-backed Midad signs term sheet with Lukoil for sanctioned assets, pending approvals Reuters

Canada wants Iran government change, increases sanctions Reuters

US Navy Intercepts Iran Shadow Fleet Sanctions-Evading Tanker Veronica III United24

Foreign cars flow to Russia through China, skirting Ukraine war sanctions Reuters

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

Russia’s Wagner Group pivots to European sabotage Financial Times

Harnessing the People: Mapping Overseas United Front Work in Democratic States Jamestown Foundation

The Hidden Government Funding of China’s American-Born Olympic Star Wall Street Journal

Japan says it seized Chinese vessel amid tensions with Beijing BBC

Palo Alto chose not to tie China to hacking campaign for fear of retaliation from Beijing Reuters

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

A Terrifying Scam and the System That Made It Possible The New Yorker

Ilhan Omar probe goes global with demand for info on hubby’s biz dealings in Kenya, Dubai and Somalia New York Post

San Diego Man Pleads Guilty In $42M International Tech Support Scam Forbes

Missouri man on FBI’s ‘Most Wanted’ list accused in $220M cattle fraud scheme NewsNation

Louvre Rocked by Arrests in $11.8 Million Ticket Fraud Investigation Artnet

UK's SFO reviews 20 cases after bribery prosecution collapses Reuters

Fraud as a feature, not a bug, in California New York Post

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

PGI Global CEO handed 20-year sentence for $200 million bitcoin, forex Ponzi scheme CoinDesk

Google finds state-sponsored hackers use AI at ‘all stages’ of attack cycle CyberScoop

Dutch phone giant Odido says millions of customers affected by data breach TechCrunch

Fintech lending giant Figure confirms data breach TechCrunch

$3.85 Million in Ethereum From Mixin Network Hack Sent to Tornado Cash Decrypt

💥 TERROR

Uproar after Iran named vice-chair of UN body promoting democracy, women’s rights Fox News

Two men jailed over ISIS-inspired plot to kill hundreds of Jews in the U.K. Reuters

Doctors Without Borders suspends some work at Gaza’s Nasser Hospital due to presence of armed men AP

How Hate Groups and Terrorists Use Gaming Platforms to Recruit Young Children New York Times

Muslim Charity Launches ‘Internal Review’ After Tax Forms Show Millions Raised for Gaza ‘Relief’ Flowed to Anti-Israel Influencer Free Beacon

Britain's High Court says government acted illegally in outlawing protest group Palestine Action Los Angeles Times

🚚 TRAFFICKING

How $40-a-Pack Cigarettes Pushed Australians to the Black Market New York Times

Trump pardons 5 ex-NFL players for crimes including drug trafficking CBS News

Colombian president accepts rebel's proposal to have a commission investigate its possible drug ties AP

DEA supervisor arrested as US shutters Dominican Republic office during visa-fraud probe AP

U.S. and Mexico seize several tons of cocaine in "coordinated operation" in Pacific Ocean CBS News

More than 180 survivors engaged in Harrods abuse redress scheme BBC

"Don't gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold." —Bob Marley

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