Major drug trafficking organizations are supplying and trafficking increasing volumes of illicit narcotics to the United States. As their drug profits continue to rise, professional money launders working on behalf of these organizations are continuously seeking new methods to launder illicit proceeds without detection. In comes cryptocurrency; a seemingly anonymous, low-cost, low-risk, method to launder millions of dollars in illicit proceeds. For narcotics investigators, understanding how those profits are sent back to foreign-based sources without detection is of the utmost importance. This 4-hour course will expose attendees to the emerging trend of cryptocurrency use by drug trafficking organizations. Drug trafficking organizations are increasingly turning to cryptocurrency and professional money launderers who rapidly convert cash on the streets for virtual assets to move their profits back to domestic or foreign-based drug trafficking organizations. Although, kilo and pound-quantity wholesale distributors aren’t the only criminals utilizing this method. Cash-for-cryptocurrency money laundering methods are emerging as a go-to method for mid and street-level distributors as well. This course will provide a foundational knowledge basis for narco investigators at all levels to attack this emerging trend.

Attendees will be instructed in basic cryptocurrency fundamentals which will provide a sufficient knowledge base to propel them into any cryptocurrency related investigation along with the baseline expertise one would need to testify in court. Attendees will be instructed in modes of operation utilized by high-level DTOs and money laundering organizations which are relative to any level of narcotics distribution and money laundering operation. Attendees will be instructed in key investigative methods and principles which can propel them into successful narcotics investigations involving the use of cryptocurrency, including but not limited to how to successfully seize cryptocurrency.

Topics Covered:

• What is Cryptocurrency
• Why DTOs are Using Crypto
• Cryptocurrency Regulations
  • FinCEN, IRS, OCC, FTC
• Public Blockchains and Nodes
• Mining and Rewards
• Popular Cryptocurrencies
• Seeds and Keys
• Crypto Wallets and Exchanges
• Transaction Tracing
• Crypto in Investigations
• Crypto Terminology