Rosario narco: they will create a provincial delegation of the FIU to investigate money laundering

The escalation of violence in Rosario, with the increase in the rate of crimes and acts of violence linked to drug trafficking, led the Government to decree the creation of a new regional agencyCRF-dependent (Financial Information Unit) in the city of Santa Fe to prevent and hinder the money laundering and terrorist financing offenses.

The Comptroller of the Federal Intelligence Agency (AFI), Agustín Rossi, indicated that the city of Rosario “will have its delegation, as requested by the Governor Omar Perotti“. This is Decree No. 85/2023, published today in the Official Journal, which announces the replacement and subsequent amendment of Article 7 of Annex Ibelonging to Decree No. 290/07 by which the creation of several delegations of the organization inside the country.

With this change, it is determined that each FIU is entitled to have more than one regional agency in the jurisdictions it deems necessary. According to the regulations, “the Regional Agencies created by CENTIF will have the function of receiving, completing and making compatible the information produced in their respective jurisdictions for their subsequent transmission to the Central Office of the Financial Intelligence Unit”.

The regulations provide that the distribution of the Units is carried out in six regions: Central, Cuyo, Littoral, North, Pampean and Patagonian. The first region, made up of the provinces of Córdoba and Santa Fe, has its headquarters in the Cordoba capital and, due to today’s modification, Rosario will join. would be expected announces additional regional headquarters dependent on the FIU, the organizations which they work with autonomy and financial autarky under the supervision of the current Ministry of the Economy.

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A section of Decree 85/2023 specifically refers to the delicate situation in Rosario. “That, in this context, it should be noted that, in recent years, there have been increase in the number of suspicious transaction reports carried out in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe”.

Likewise, according to the Official Gazette, the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment Report of the Argentine Republic approved Decree No. 653/22. And from there is born “a large number of criminal organizations based in the city of Rosario as well as criminal activities and levels of violence above the national average”.

For this reason, it is also one of the main national destination points for drug trafficking and, in terms of drug crimethe eminent role of river transport (by the Paraná River, Paraná-Paraguay waterway) or air transport (irregular flights) in explaining both the entry of the substance into the country, as well as its movement through the national territory and, finally, its subsequent illegal export.

The next is the Cuyo region made up of La Rioja, San Luis, San Juan and Mendoza, the latter being the headquarters. also figure Coast (Corrientes, Entre Ríos and Misiones, based in the city of Posadas) and North (Catamarca, Chaco, Formosa, Jujuy, Salta, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán), with headquarters in the city of Salta.

Moreover, the Pampean region which includes Buenos Aires and La Pampa, with its epicenter in the city of Bahía Blanca and, finally, the Patagoniaintegrated by the provinces of Chubut, Neuquén, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands, with its central head in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia.

The identification and permanent assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing risks is one of the objectives of these regional agencies. The aim is to inform of possible changes to the country’s AML/CFT regime, including variations in laws, regulations and other measures.

In addition, assist in the allocation and prioritization of AML/CFT resources by competent authorities and provide input for risk assessments carried out by financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions.

According to what was communicated to the Official Journal, “the regional agencies are satisfied with a maximum of five agents eachwho are assigned or transferred from different bodies within the national public administration”.

The text of the regulation specifies that “these agents must belong to a category not exceeding level B of the National System of the Administrative Profession (SINAPA) or the equivalent of other grades and one of them is designated by the president of the FIU as agency coordinator”.

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