BOSTON—Today, as part of the Treasury Department’s Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), announced a new initiative to combat the illicit trafficking of fentanyl into the United States. The “Promoting Regional Outreach to Educate Communities on the Threat of Fentanyl” (or PROTECT) series of FinCEN Exchange sessions will be held through the remainder of 2024 in U.S. cities that are highly impacted by the opioid epidemic.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Today, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) held an outreach event on beneficial ownership reporting requirements with Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State—the Hon. Omar J. Marrero-Diaz—at the Puerto Rico Department of State. The event included trade associations that represent small business groups in Puerto Rico. It was FinCEN’s first outreach event in Spanish regarding the Federal requirements to report information to FinCEN about the individuals who ultimately own or control them.

WASHINGTON—Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) jointly proposed a new rule that would require SEC-registered investment advisers (RIAs) and exempt reporting advisers (ERAs) to establish, document, and maintain written customer identification programs (CIPs).