Happy Friday!  It’s May 17, and we’re tracking top stories to take you into the weekend: Russian tycoon Deripaska calls latest sanctions 'balderdash', Islamic State AI anchors take their propaganda global, North Korea IT worker scheme nets millions, Spanish police seize 1.8 tons of Sinaloa Cartel meth, and much more... 

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🎯 Russian tycoon Deripaska calls latest US sanctions 'balderdash'. Treasury sanctioned a web of Russian companies used to disguise ownership of a $1.6B industrial stake controlled by Deripaska. Reuters 

Top Stories

🌎 These ISIS news anchors are AI fakes. Their propaganda is real. The videos offer earliest signs of AI helping terrorist groups quickly disseminate hype and recruit members. WaPo

🚩 Florida School Accused of Training 'Future Terrorists' Newsweek

🌎 Arizona woman charged in North Korean IT worker scheme that raised millions. The scheme compromised the identities of 60 Americans and affected 300 US companies. CNN

🇰🇵 U.S. offers $5M for info on North Korean IT workers involved in job fraud Record

🌎 Spanish police break up Sinaloa cartel network, seize 1.8 tons of meth. Police made five arrests and raided six properties in the eastern region of Valencia. CBS

🎙️ Featured Podcast: Wildlife Trafficking, Canadian Crypto ATMs, Dubai Real Estate, and More AML Conversations

🌎 U.S. sanctions undermine confidence in dollar. Putin said that U.S. sanctions policy was undermining confidence in the dollar and that Russia and China would find a way to stop the threat. Reuters

🔐 Hong Kong Expands Cross-Border Digital Yuan Trial, Allows Residents to Set Up E-CNY Wallets CoinDesk

🌎 Mystery in the Alps: A Chinese Family, a Swiss Inn and the World’s Most Expensive Weapon. Switzerland agreed to buy F-35 jet fighters to park on a remote runway. Then the U.S. zeroed in on the Wangs. WSJ

🌎 Border Patrol officials who partied with tequila mogul are also under investigation for ties to wealthy border businessman. CBP's watchdog is now investigating whether Border Patrol leaders disclosed their contacts with Eduardo Garza. NBC

🚚 Illegal crossings at US-Canada border on pace to shatter 2023 record NYP

🌎 Foreign Oil Firms in Venezuela Scramble for US Licenses Ahead of Deadline. Firms are flooding OFAC with applications, leaving officials struggling to clear the backlog. Bloomberg

🌎 Binance executive denied bail in Nigeria amid $35M money laundering trial. Federal High Court of Nigeria has refused to grant bail to Tigran Gambaryan. Block

📕 Treasury Announces 2024 National Illicit Finance Strategy U.S. Treasury

IN THE NEWS

Russia

🇷🇺 U.S. Announces New Sanctions Over North Korea-Russia Arms Transfers Reuters

🇷🇺 U.S. lukewarm on G7 Russian diamond ban after industry backlash Reuters

🇷🇺 Russia plans big dairy export push in MENA Reuters

🇷🇺 Russian Uranium Supplier Tenex Issues Force Majeure Notice Bloomberg

🇷🇺 Russia and China to sign Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline contract Reuters

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China

🇨🇳 Chinese spy defects, reveals Beijing’s secrets Washington Times

🇨🇳 US Says China Must Choose Between Putin and West Newsweek

🇨🇳 What are the 14 Chinese items on the US tariff list, and how important are they? SCMP

🇨🇳 How is China supporting Russia after it was sanctioned for Ukraine war? BBC

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Corruption & Financial Crime

💸 Businesspeople do not dispute giving gold, cash to Menendezes — but say they were ‘gifts’ Politico

💸 House Ethics panel subpoenas DOJ for Gaetz records Politico

💸 Australian League Soccer Players Arrested for Betting Corruption CNN

💸 Facebook and Nike DEI manager sentenced to 5 years in prison for fraud scheme CNBC

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Europe

📌 Nickel, guns and foreign powers: How France’s New Caledonia reached the brink of ‘civil war’ Politico

📌 Deepfake ‘CFO’ tricked British design firm in $25M scam Fortune

📌 German far-right politician’s office searched in bribery probe Politico

📌 Italian police uncover billion-euro tax credit scam Reuters

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Asia & Middle East

🎯 Vietnam forfeits billions of dollars in foreign aid amid anti-graft freeze Reuters

🎯 Data leak reveals links between Singapore money launderer and sale of Dubai properties Straits Times

🎯 Turkey expects removal from global money laundering ‘grey list’ Al-Monitor

🎯 Israel to abolish free trade deal with Turkey Reuters

🎯 Jordan's king wants neighbors to confront smugglers Reuters

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Crypto & Cyber

🔐 French Securities Regulator Warns Investors Against Crypto Exchange Bybit CoinDesk

🔐 How MIT Brothers Cheated a Noxious Ethereum Practice for $25M CoinDesk

🔐 Binance helps Taiwan solve $6.2M crypto fraud Cointelegraph

🔐 US Senate passes measure withdrawing SEC accounting bulletin Block

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Trafficking

🚚 Sean Combs’ Accused Drug ‘Mule’ Strikes Deal in Cocaine Case Rolling Stone

🚚 Biden takes another step to fast-track asylum process for border crossers Axios

🚚 Biden refuses to reveal terror watchlist nationalities as illegal immigration explodes Fox

🚚 Panama weighs more checkpoints in treacherous jungle increasingly crossed by migrants Reuters

Have a wonderful weekend!

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