Secrecy and lax oversight mean illegal loggers and miners in the Amazon are parking from millions to billions in real estate and other assets in the US. Congress and the White House need to close loopholes in financial regulations that contribute to destruction of the world’s biggest tropical forest. Two principal flaws in the US regulation of financial flows from other countries are: permissive rules on identification allowing use of anonymous shell companies; and gaping holes in the anti-money-laundering framework enabling estate agents and refineries to accept payments without checking and disclosing fund origins.
www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/26/environmental-money-easy-to-stash-in-us-due-to-loopholes-report-finds