Re: FinCEN reports from GAO

[John Young <jya@pipeline.com>]

The GAO reports Woody cites(*) and others are available online at:

     http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces160.shtml

Here's a list on money laundering reports, and one which reports
on the burgeoning federal law enforcement agencies.

(*) Money Laundering: Progress Report on Treasury's Financial Crimes
Enforcement Network (Letter Report, 11/08/93, GAO/GGD-94-30).

Money Laundering: Characteristics of Currency Transaction Reports Filed
in Calendar Year 1992 (Fact Sheet, 11/10/93, GAO/GGD-94-45FS).

Money Laundering: U.S. Efforts To Fight It Are Threatened By Currency
Smuggling (Chapter Report, 03/09/94, GAO/GGD-94-73).

Money Laundering: The Volume of Currency Transaction Reports Filed Can
and Should Be Reduced (Testimony, 03/15/94, GAO/T-GGD-94-113).

(*) Money Laundering: Needed Improvements for Reporting Suspicious
Transactions Are Planned (Chapter Report, 05/30/95, GAO/GGD-95-156).

Money Laundering: Stakeholders View Recordkeeping Requirements for
Cashier's Checks as Sufficient (Letter Report, 07/28/95, GAO/GGD-95-189).

Money Laundering: Rapid Growth of Casinos Makes Them Vulnerable (Letter
Report, 01/04/96, GAO/GGD-96-28).

Counterfeit U.S. Currency Abroad: Observations on Counterfeiting and U.S.
Deterrence Efforts (Testimony, 02/27/96, GAO/T-GGD-96-82).

Money Laundering: U.S. Efforts to Combat Money Laundering Overseas
(Testimony, 02/28/96, GAO/T-GGD-96-84).

Money Laundering: A Framework for Understanding U.S. Efforts Overseas
(Letter Report, 05/24/96, GAO/GGD-96-105).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Federal Law Enforcement: Investigative Authority and Personnel at 13
Agencies (Letter Report, 09/30/96, GAO/GGD-96-154).

[Excerpt]

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the 13
federal agencies with the largest number of law enforcement
investigative personnel.

  ATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
  DS - Bureau of Diplomatic Security
  CPDF - Central Personnel Data File
  DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration
  FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
  INS - Immigration and Naturalization Service
  IRS - Internal Revenue Service
  NCIS - Naval Criminal Investigative Service
  NPS - National Park Service
  OPM - U.S.  Office of Personnel Management

GAO found that: (1) 10 agencies employ over 90 percent of federal law
enforcement investigative personnel and 3 agencies have 700 or more such
personnel; (2) these agencies investigate criminal violations including
organized crime, bank fraud, civil right violations, illegal
immigration, violations of mail integrity and security, custom, drug
trafficking, and money laundering violations, income tax violations, and
passport and visa fraud; (3) the agencies derive their investigative
authority primarily from statutory laws which are implemented through
executive orders, agency regulations, and interagency agreements; (4)
the 13 agencies employed about 42,800 law enforcement investigative
personnel at the end of fiscal year (FY) 1995 and, except at the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), 100 percent of the
personnel could execute search warrants, make arrests, and carry
firearms; (5) there was a 19 percent overall increase in investigative
personnel between 1987 and 1995; and (6) the change in the number of law
enforcement investigative personnel ranged from an increase of about 66
percent at INS to a decrease of about 14 percent at the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service.