Billions in stolen crypto. Oligarchs' illicit assets. Financial crime is more complex than ever — and investigators say they need help to keep up
CBSN
In its more than 100-year history, the IRS criminal investigation unit has helped put away the likes of Al Capone and John Gotti. It is the nation's sixth-largest federal law enforcement agency and the only one authorized to investigate federal criminal tax violations and pursue related financial crimes, such as money laundering, currency violations and terrorist financing.
But as the financial world grows more complex, so has criminal activity – and the unit tasked with bringing such illicit action to heel is facing an increasing challenge. About 75% of the unit's time is spent on tax investigations, but in recent years, they've shifted resources to emerging areas – like cryptocurrency.
"Gone are the simple days of a person sending a transaction through a single bank account. That was easy to uncover: gain records from the bank. Now it's a very complicated web of sophisticated criminals trying to move money globally, "said Jarod Koopman from the IRS criminal investigation unit.

The race to fill the seat of retiring Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin has been heating up in the days leading up to Tuesday's 2026 Democratic primary and could set the tone for other midterm primaries on issues like President Trump's deportation policies and outside spending. And another factor in the race is Gov. JB Pritzker's attempt at powerbrokering: he's given his endorsement and millions in campaign funds to his lieutenant governor, Julianna Stratton. In:

A man who was accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters on the eve of the Jan. 6 attack in 2021 is asking a judge to dismiss the criminal charges against him, arguing he is covered by President Trump's sweeping pardons of alleged Jan. 6 rioters.

The Cuban government is planning to allow Cuban nationals who live abroad — including in the U.S. — to invest in companies on the island, a top government official told NBC News in an interview that aired Monday, as the country faces economic collapse and immense pressure from the Trump administration.










