Happy Monday! It’s July 14, and we’re tracking top stories to start the week: New sanctions bill would give Trump a "sledgehammer" against Russia, the great Benghazi blunder, leader of Italian mafia arrested in Colombia, inside the shadowy, lucrative business of ‘Superfake’ luxury handbags, and much more…

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🎙️ Do not miss the latest episode of FinCrime Unfiltered with Sarah Beth Felix: WISE and Monzo Penalties + FinCEN'S Special Measures Illicit Edge 

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Sen. Graham says sanctions bill would give Trump a "sledgehammer" against Russia.  "We're going after the people who keep Putin in business, and additional sanctions on Russia itself...” CBS

Trump to announce "aggressive" Ukraine weapons plan Axios

🔥 TOP STORIES

The great Benghazi blunder: How a Libyan warlord humiliated Brussels Politico

Leader of Italian mafia arrested in Colombia, accused of overseeing cocaine shipments CBS

Inside the Shadowy, Lucrative Business of ‘Superfake’ Luxury Handbags WSJ

Appeals court tosses 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s plea deal Independent

American Allies Want to Redraw the World’s Trade Map, Minus the U.S. NYT

House "crypto week" could change how Americans use, save money Axios

British man extradited to U.S. to face federal charges in $99M wine scam AP

South Africa's Ramaphosa removes police minister over criminal links BBC 

More than 70 arrests at Palestine Action ban protests BBC 

FATF’s Extended Oversight Threatens Pakistan’s Economic Survival Eurasia Review

Iranian Group Places $40M Bounty on Trump’s Head Free Beacon

Former Mexican president investigated over taking bribes from spyware industry Record

Immigration Raids Reveal Holes in Government’s Tool to Verify Workers WSJ

Another impostor scam hits Capitol Hill WaPo

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

State Silence Fuels Fears Kyrgyz Crypto Boom Busting Russia Sanctions RFE

Venture capital firm hit with $216M penalty for ‘egregious’ violations of U.S. sanctions against Russian billionaire ICIJ

Spain awards Huawei contracts to manage intelligence agency wiretaps Record

Chinese hackers suspected in breach of powerful DC law firm CNN

Spanish Police Arrest Son of Russian Defense Executive in Money Laundering Probe OCCRP

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

Tornado Cash Made Crypto Anonymous. Now One of Its Creators Faces Trial. Wired

Hacker returns cryptocurrency stolen from GMX exchange after $5M bounty payment Record

Louis Vuitton confirms customer data stolen in cyberattack CyberNews

MoonPay executives may have sent $250,000 to Nigerian scammer The Block

Indian Crypto Exchange CoinDCX Denies Moving User Funds After WazirX Allegations CoinDesk

Four arrested in connection with M&S and Co-op cyber-attacks BBC

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

U.S. sanctions Cuban president, top officials for ‘regime’s brutality’ AFP

Argentina accuses ex-president Alberto Fernández of corruption AP

N.Y. state auditor whose job is to uncover financial fraud accused of financial fraud CBS

Trump Drops COVID Vaccine Fraud Charges Against Utah Doctor Newsweek

Officials probing Georgia GOP donor accused of $140M Ponzi scheme ABC

Kenyans put their president on notice over broken campaign promises, corruption and violence AP

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Kanye West’s Ex-Assistant Adds Battery and Trafficking to Claims in Lawsuit Hollywood Reporter

ICE Plans to Ramp Up Deporting Immigrants to Countries Other Than Their Own Rolling Stone

Son of ‘El Chapo’ expected to plead guilty in drug trafficking case AP

Ecuadorean gang leader ‘Fito’ agrees to be extradited to the U.S. CNN

Florida records more than 700,000 people as victims of human trafficking in 2024 Guardian

Global human trafficking operation detects 1,194 potential victims, arrests 158 suspects INTERPOL

“For Mr. Putin, vacillation invites aggression. His world is a brutish, cynical place, where power is worshiped, weakness is despised, and all rivalries are zero-sum.” —John McCain

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