HIFCA

What is a HIFCA?

HIFCA stands for High Intensity Financial Crime Area," these high risk areas were first announced in the 1999 National Money Laundering Strategy and were conceived in the Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Strategy Act of 1998 as a means of concentrating law enforcement efforts at the federal, state, and local levels in high intensity money laundering zones.

The Money Laundering and Financial Crimes Strategy Act of 1998, P.L. 105-310 (October 30, 1998) (the "1998 Strategy Act"), calls for the designation of certain areas as areas in which money laundering and related financial crimes are extensive or present a substantial risk shall be an element of the national strategy developed pursuant to section 5341(b) of the Act. See 31 U.S. Code 5341(b) and 5342(b).

The Purpose of HIFCA

The HIFCA program is intended to concentrate law enforcement efforts at the federal, state, and local level to combat money laundering in designated high-intensity money laundering zones. In order to implement this goal, a money-laundering action team was created or identified within each HIFCA to spearhead a coordinated federal, state, and local anti-money laundering effort. Each action team is composed of all relevant federal, state, and local enforcement authorities, prosecutors, and financial regulators.

HIFCA Regional Map