There is nothing new about criminals
committing crimes in one country and stashing
their illicitly generated proceeds in another.
Indeed, most of the complex money laundering
prosecutions, and related forfeiture actions, now
have international dimensions. Law enforcement
is constantly challenged in their efforts to forfeit
and recover foreign-based assets involved in
transnational crime. Over the past decade,
however, a number of developments have helped
to level the playing field for U.S. prosecutors and
agents. This article highlights a few of those
developments, particularly the government's
ability to reach foreign-based assets by seizing
funds at correspondent accounts of foreign banks
located in the United States in lieu of offshore
criminal funds, as well as some of the initiatives
taken to recover the proceeds of foreign
corruption.