These profits often come in the form of currency or cash and are smuggled by TCOs throughout the United States and across U.S. borders to keep their proceeds away from the scrutiny of financial regulators and law enforcement agencies.

Criminal actors may try to avoid traditional financial institutions by sending their illicit proceeds through commercial and private aircraft, passenger and commercial vehicles, ships and via pedestrian crossings at our land borders.

The National Bulk Cash Smuggling Center (BCSC) was established in 2009 to combat bulk cash smuggling. The BCSC provides real-time operational support to federal, state, local and international agencies involved in the enforcement and interdiction of bulk value and illicit proceeds moved throughout the country and across international borders.

As TCOs have evolved and embraced technological advances and emerging financial sectors to diversify their laundering methods, the BCSC has also adapted its focus to include stored value, pre-paid cards, and digital currency or virtual assets. HSI and the BCSC remain committed to combatting currency smuggling, illicit value transfer and cross-border crimes that seek to undermine our financial systems.