Protecting Pesos: 3 Factors That Determine How Criminal Justice Attorneys Handle Money Laundering Cases in Tijuana, Mexico

Have you ever wondered how criminals buy things using the proceeds of a crime without the authorities finding out? The answer’s simple—they process black money to disguise its illegal origin through a process known as money laundering.

Money laundering is prevalent in places like Tijuanawhere Mexico’s infamous cartels carry out organized crime operations. In response, Mexico has several anti-money laundering laws in place to prevent cartel affiliates from bringing black money earned in the United States back to Mexico. Unfortunately, these laws frequently land unsuspecting travelers in legal trouble as well.

If you feel you’ve been wrongly charged with money laundering in Tijuana, your best bet is to hire a criminal defense attorney ASAP. But what factors affect how a criminal defense lawyer handles money laundering cases in Tijuana? Here are 3 factors that determine how criminal justice attorneys handle money laundering cases in Tijuana.

1. The Amount of Money Found on the Defendant

Did you know Mexico prohibits travelers from bringing $10,000 or more across the US-Mexico border without an official declaration? In other words, if you’re charged with money laundering in Tijuana, one of the first things a cross-border crimes attorney will ask you is how much money you brought with you.

If you’ve brought over $10,000 in undeclared cash across the border, Mexican authorities have the right to press criminal charges against you. If the charges are confirmed, you’ll be liable for up to 40% of the amount you brought above $10,000, and if you brought over $30,000, you could face up to 6 years in prison.

The bigger the charge against you, the more work the criminal justice attorney will be required to put in to defend you. In other words, the amount of money you’re stopped with will determine what kind of defense the criminal justice lawyer builds for you.

2. The Source & Purpose of the Funds

Have you ever tried depositing a large sum of money into a bank account? Chances are the bank will ask you to declare your source and purpose of funds. This is a standard anti-money laundering practice the Mexican government uses as well to weed out money launderers at the US-Mexico border.

If you’re charged with money laundering in Tijuana, Mexican authorities have the right to request information from financial institutions you use to investigate the source and purpose of your funds. If you’re confident the financial institutions you frequent will confirm the legitimacy of the source of your funds, we recommend telling the criminal defense lawyer ASAP. They’ll use this information in court to try to overturn or reduce the charges against you. With that said, whether the criminal defense lawyer is successful depends on how honest you are about the source and purpose of your funds.

The last thing you want is to lie about the source and purpose of your funds to the criminal defense lawyer, only to be found out in court. If that happens, you’ll be facing severe penalties for money laundering crimes no matter how good the criminal justice lawyer is!

3. Whether the Defendant Declared the Money

It’s common for people to think Mexico has an outright ban on bringing over $10,000 across the border. But did you know this is a misconception? It’s only illegal to bring in large sums of money across the US-Mexico border if you don’t declare it. But what happens if you’re charged with money laundering despite declaring the money on your person?

If that’s the case, there are two possibilities. The first is that you’ve been detailed before going to trial despite declaring your funds. In this scenario, the criminal justice attorney defending you might be able to argue for a case dismissal if you underwent pre-trial detention without committing a serious offense. However, it’s also possible that you’ve been charged with other crimes that make it lawful to detain you. In this scenario, it’s worth consulting a criminal defense lawyer to understand what charges you’re facing and why.

If you’re ever charged with money laundering in Tijuana, reach out to our team of criminal justice attorneys at Meneses Legal immediately. We’re highly regarded among our clients for the quality of our services and handle everything from homicide and contraband charges to drugs, gun crime, and sex crime charges.

Don’t settle for anything less than a top cross-border attorney if you’re charged with money laundering in Tijuana. Fill out our online form today or dial 664-500-6896 if you’re in Mexico to consult our team of criminal defense lawyers.