United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) today applauded the introduction of the bipartisan Senate Resolution 610 urging Congress to step up efforts to combat illegal trade, international criminal organizations and trade-based money laundering (TBML). The resolution was introduced on Tuesday by Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Todd Young (R-IN).

“This resolution is an important step in the fight against illegal trade and the dangerous criminals who profit from it,” said Matt Albence, USA-IT spokesperson and former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Supply chain delays and the growth of the internet economy have made it easier than ever for criminal networks to raise and launder money that is then used to fund other criminal activities such as drug and human trafficking. This resolution would help ensure that our intelligence community, law enforcement agencies, and the private sector are better coordinating our efforts to fight back against these threats.”

Illegal trade fuels a $2.2 trillion-per-year industry of global transnational crime. Dangerous criminal networks get rich from many forms of illegal trade—including engaging in trafficking illegal drugs, counterfeit medicines, and PPE; illegal guns, cybercrime, organized retail crime; and smuggling stolen, counterfeit, and pirated goods and even human beings. These criminal activities fund gangs and drug cartels and terrorist organizations.

“We are grateful for the senators’ leadership on such an important issue, and we urge other lawmakers to support this resolution and tackle this growing danger of illegal trade and trade-based money laundering (TBML) to American communities.” said David M. Luna, executive director of the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE). “These criminal enterprises are smart and agile, and our efforts to combat them and seize their dirty money must be as well. No single government or industry can address this complex problem on its own. It will require a comprehensive and cooperative approach like USA-IT is helping to lead.”

Since its launch in June 2021, USA-IT is working across 15 states to unite and empower local officials, law enforcement, and other leaders with new information and training programs and raise public awareness of the depth and severity of illegal trade. To date, the coalition has trained more than 29,000 law enforcement officials, held over 150 briefings with organizations and policymakers, and presented at more than 30 events across the United States. USA-IT has put forward a set of policy recommendations to help dismantle illicit marketplaces and disrupt illegal trade. The 2021 USA-IT policy recommendations include:

• Establishing a national framework against illegal trade and organized crime;
• Addressing challenges posed by e-commerce;
• Confronting the abuse of small parcels in contraband trade;
• Disabling foreign Free-Trade Zones (FTZs) from promoting illegal trade; and
• Disincentivizing illicit activities through stronger sanctions and penalties for criminal and corrupt actors

For more information about USA-IT’s efforts to combat illegal trade and to get involved, visit USAIT.org or email us at contact@USAIT.org.

For media requests, please email sam.dashiell@USAIT.org

About USA-IT
United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) is a public education initiative to combat black-market trade. Supported by a coalition of more than 70 national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement agencies, academics, and leading business organizations, USA-IT provides public officials, law enforcement, and other leaders with new information and training programs to help tackle illegal trade and engages media to raise public awareness of the depth and severity of this crime.

Illegal trade takes many nefarious forms, connected by shadowy webs of bad actors. But no single company, industry, or government can address this complex problem on its own. Tackling illegal trade requires cooperation and public-private partnerships, making full use of existing expertise, information sharing, innovative solutions, and evolving technologies. Public actors, the private sector, and civil society alike all have a role to play.

SOURCE United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT)