Terrorist Financing Targeting Center Strengthens Capacity on Trade-Based Money Laundering and Commercial Front Networks

On May 19, 2026, the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) convened more than 100 participants from across its member states for a virtual capacity-building workshop and Fellowship exchange focused on trade-based money laundering (TBML) and the use of commercial front companies and networks to facilitate terrorist financing.

The session brought together TFTC member states to share efforts to detect, investigate, and disrupt terrorist financing schemes involving the misuse of trade systems and commercial entities. Particular attention was given to methods employed by Iranian-backed terrorist organizations, with a focus on Lebanese Hizballah.

The workshop featured presentations from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Saudi Presidency of State Security (PSS), the Qatari General Authority of Customs, and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior. Presenters examined TBML typologies, red flag indicators, and operational methods, drawing on investigative and sanctions case studies to illustrate how terrorist actors exploit trade and commercial networks to raise revenue, conceal ownership, and gain access to the international financial system.

The event concluded with a virtual roundtable for TFTC Fellows, who exchanged perspectives on emerging TBML trends, investigative challenges, and warning signs of suspicious trade activity. Fellows also discussed examples of interagency coordination in their jurisdictions, including practical steps to overcome information-sharing and coordination challenges.

By bringing together operational, regulatory, customs, sanctions, and law enforcement perspectives, the session strengthened member states’ ability to identify vulnerabilities, recognize suspicious trade activity, and use investigative and analytical tools against terrorist financing networks. The exchange reinforced the importance of multilateral cooperation in identifying and disrupting networks that exploit legitimate trade and commercial activity to generate, move, and obscure funds in support of terrorist activity.