Greetings! It’s December 18, and we’re tracking today’s top stories: Trump sanctions Mexico’s cartel “sledgehammer,” China’s Long Economic War, How Crypto Is Turning America Into a Kleptocracy, Trail of Drug-Linked Planes Leads Back to California Seller, and much more…

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🎯 FEATURED STORY

Trump sanctions Mexican cartel and its leader, "the sledgehammer," for oil theft. Fuel theft — more commonly known as huachicol in Mexico — has risen to the second most profitable revenue stream for Mexican cartels behind drug trafficking. CBS

‘El Limones’ and the growing union disguise of Mexican organized crime El País

🔥 TOP STORIES

China’s Long Economic War Foreign Affairs

How China built its ‘Manhattan Project’ to rival the West in AI chips Reuters

How Crypto Is Turning America Into a Kleptocracy The Atlantic

Trail of Drug-Linked Planes Leads Back to California Seller – and U.S. Aviation Regulatory ‘Blind Spot’ OCCRP

Wuhan lab fires back with $50 billion lawsuit against GOP senator who blamed China for COVID Washington Times

Myanmar declares a “zero tolerance” policy for cyberscams. But the fraud goes on AP

How the battle against Asian scam networks went global DW

Former Lebanese minister ordered released on $100,000 bail amid financial crime allegations AP

Nearly $900 Million Flowed in Secret to Help Harris and Trump in 2024 NYT

The Biggest Fraud in Welfare WSJ

Somali fraud probe in Minnesota underscores growing warnings on cash reaching extremists Fox News

Amazon warns that Russia’s Sandworm has shifted its tactics CyberScoop

Google sues Chinese scam group behind massive U.S. text message phishing ring NBC

Binance offers $5 million whistleblower reward as it cracks down on fraudulent token 'listing agents' The Block

Settlement between OFAC and Exodus Movement, Inc. OFAC

FBI disrupts virtual money laundering service used to facilitate criminal activity DOJ 

CEO, CFO, COO Charged In Connection With Billion-Dollar Collapse Of Tricolor Auto DOJ

💥 SANCTIONS

Tankers Under Sanction Are Only a Subset of Fleet Moving Venezuelan Oil NYT

Shaheen Secures Repeal of Caesar Act Sanctions on Syria in Annual Defense Bill U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

EU leaders face crunch decision on loaning Russia's frozen cash to Ukraine BBC

EU Sanctions Envoy Says Measures Steadily And Increasingly Choking Russia Of Key Revenues RFE

🚩 RUSSIA & CHINA

China exploits US-funded research on nuclear technology ABC

The American company seeking to counter China in Africa Financial Times

Three Chinese-Owned Companies to Pay More Than $7.3M to Resolve False Claims Act DOJ

UK issues ultimatum to Abramovich for Chelsea sale funds DW

Belgian politicians and finance bosses targeted by Russian intelligence over seized assets Guardian

💸 CORRUPTION & FINANCIAL CRIME

‘Pro-Iran regime’ University of Arkansas prof. now under investigation over academic fraud New York Post

Italy and Romania Freeze Assets Linked to Alleged Mafia Groups OCCRP

Digital Health Company and Medical Practice Indicted in $100M Adderall Scheme DOJ

Brazil Senate backs bill cutting Bolsonaro jail term, setting up clash with Lula AFP

Cash-strapped ‘woke’ Wall Street watchdog braces for Trump administration crackdown on ‘political’ nonprofits New York Post

🔐 CRYPTO & CYBER

AI Is Inventing Academic Papers That Don’t Exist — And They’re Being Cited in Real Journals Rolling Stone

Password manager fined after major data breach Fox News

Cisco says Chinese hackers are exploiting its customers with a new zero-day TechCrunch

High-tech spyware seized aboard ship in France Politico

Teen Boys Are Losing Everything at Crypto Casinos VICE

Breach at South Korea’s Equivalent of Amazon Exposed Data of Almost Every Adult WSJ

Ex-Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison leaves federal prison after 11 months Protos

🚚 TRAFFICKING

Feds go after violent L.A. gang linked to Mexican Mafia; 16 suspects arrested Los Angeles Times

Coast Guard offloads 27,000 pounds of cocaine as it uses "disabling fire" to stop some alleged drug boats CBS

At least 20 people arrested linked to Miami cocaine trafficking ring Miami Herald

Lithuania arrests 21 in balloon-based cigarette smuggling operation from Belarus Polskie Radio

Trump expands U.S. travel ban to include two Caribbean countries Miami Herald

“A bad peace is even worse than war.” —Tacitus

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