Crime Link Is Seen in $4.4 Billion of US-to-Mexico Remittances

Nearly 8% of the record $58 billion that Mexicans mainly living in the US sent home last year appear to be linked to illegal activities, including money laundering, according to a new report by a Mexico-based data think tank.

Remittances to Mexico have been booming in recent years due to new migration to its northern neighbor but at least $4.4 billion of such transfers could be linked to criminal activity, Signos Vitales, a think tank that groups researchers who analyze public data in Mexico, said in a report on Monday.

Red flags include rising remittances from areas that host ...