US Analysts Flag $312 Billion in Suspicious Activity Tied to Suspected Chinese Money Laundering Networks

A specialist told House lawmakers during a hearing that cartel-linked networks exploit banks, shell firms, real estate, cryptocurrency, and trade channels.

A Chinese bank worker prepares to count U.S. dollar bills and a stack of 100-yuan notes at a bank in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, on March 9, 2010. STR/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. financial institutions filed more than 137,000 reports totaling about $312 billion in suspicious activity tied to suspected Chinese money laundering networks from 2020 through 2024, according to an analysis by the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) that became the central focus of a June 9 House subcommittee hearing on cartel finance.

The figure reflects transactions flagged in Bank Secrecy Act reports, not a confirmed total of laundered funds or criminal proceeds. Liana Rosen, a Congressional Research Service specialist on international sanctions and financial crimes, told lawmakers that such reports are the starting point for investigations and that public information does not show what share of the $312 billion led to enforcement action.