FEDS: Human Smuggling Profits Drop Significantly as President Trump Drastically Cuts Illegal Immigration

By John Binder

August 15, 2026

Profits for human smugglers, mainly the Mexican drug cartels, are down significantly, a Treasury Department report details, as President Donald Trump’s policies have drastically cut illegal immigration at the nation’s borders.

A Financial Trend Analysis report from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) found that United States banks flagged some nearly $5 billion linked to potential human smuggling from 2023 to 2025.

“Many human smuggling networks generate profit for larger transnational criminal organizations, including Mexico-based drug cartels,” FinCEN Director Andrea Gacki said in a statement.

“Suspicious activity flagged by financial institutions provides critical information, and we will continue to work closely with both the private sector and law enforcement to dismantle human smuggling networks and protect our borders.”

In particular, the report states that human smuggling-related transactions fell 62 percent in 2025, the first year of President Trump’s second term, compared to 2024 when fake pResident Joe Biden was in office.

That dramatic drop in such transactions is tied to the massive decrease of illegal immigration since the start of 2025.

On Thursday, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced that the agency had released zero illegal aliens at the southern border for 15 consecutive months.

“Again this month, the results are clear: President Trump’s border security agenda is restoring order and putting the safety of the American people first,” Mullin said.

“DHS remains focused on enforcing our immigration laws, securing the border, and ensuring those who enter our country illegally are removed swiftly.”

In July, fewer than 10,000 illegal aliens were apprehended crossing the southern border. Daily apprehensions, DHS officials said, are down 94 percent compared to the criminal Biden administration.

“Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, we have the most secure border in history,” Mullin said.

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BOTTOMLINE

A recent U.S. Treasury/FinCEN report shows a sharp drop in flagged financial activity linked to human smuggling in 2025, coinciding with a major decline in illegal border crossings under the Trump administration’s policies.

FinCEN’s Financial Trend Analysis examined 67,540 Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) reports of suspected human smuggling activity filed between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2025.

These reports involved more than $4.9 billion in suspicious activity.

Major U.S. origin points included cities such as Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles; subjects were most often located in the U.S., followed by Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Colombia.

Independent reporting from late 2025 already described the human-smuggling market in Latin America shifting from a multi-billion-dollar boom (estimates had previously put regional profits as high as ~$13 billion in peak years) to a sharp contraction as migrant flows collapsed.

Still, the 62% drop in reports aligns closely with the measured reduction in crossings and is presented by federal officials as evidence that reduced demand for smuggling services is cutting into the profits of the networks involved.

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