U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has disbanded Task Force KleptoCapture, a specialized unit established to combat Russian oligarchs following the invasion of Ukraine, in favor of intensifying efforts against drug cartels. The decision prioritizes the administration's anti-cartel agenda, shifting resources and personnel away from KleptoCapture's mission of seizing assets and prosecuting individuals linked to Russian financial support for the war.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has disbanded Task Force KleptoCapture, a team established to target Russian oligarchs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, citing the need to prioritize the administration's anti-cartel efforts. Bondi issued a series of memos on February 5th, including one titled 'Total Elimination of Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations,' outlining a shift in departmental focus and resources.
The memo states that the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section will prioritize investigations, prosecutions, and asset forfeiture actions against cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). Task Force KleptoCapture, the Department's Kleptocracy Team, and the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative will be disbanded, with attorneys returning to their previous roles and resources redirected to the fight against cartels.The memo also announced the suspension of certain processes, such as mandatory pre-indictment review for capital-eligible offenses and approval requirements for filings involving defendants alleged to be members or associates of cartels, aimed at streamlining the pursuit of cartel takedowns. Former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco had previously announced that KleptoCapture had 'restrained, seized, and obtained judgments to forfeit nearly $700 million in assets from Russian enablers and charged more than 70 individuals for violating international sanctions and export controls levied against Russia.'Andrew Adams, the first leader of KleptoCapture, stated to Reuters, 'Are we going to suddenly see a surge of sanctioned oligarch wealth flood into the United States? I don't think so. What you will see is a sharp decline in the pace of charges that target facilitators that are specific to Russia.' Nate Sibley, a fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of its Kleptocracy Initiative, expressed on X, formerly Twitter, that 'KleptoCapture had served its purpose in that officials had largely reverted to usual channels in coordinating oligarch sanctions... This isn't the one I'm worried about...' The changes to KleptoCapture are set to last for 90 days before being renewed or made permanent by Bondi. Cases opened under the task force's purview will likely continue but will no longer be centralized through the Justice Department headquarters, according to Reuters.
Cartels Kleptocapture Russian Oligarchs Task Force Attorney General U.S. Justice Department Sanctions
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