More than two dozen federal agents raided four Chicago locations Wednesday as part of a national crackdown on money transfer businesses sending funds to Iraq in violation of federal law, authorities said.
Across the country, the U.S. Customs Service executed search warrants on 29 businesses and individuals. Two of the storefront businesses and two individuals were in Chicago, authorities confirmed while declining to give specific addresses.
No arrests occurred here, but agents seized financial records, computers and other evidence, said Brian Moskowitz, the associate special agent in charge for the Customs Service’s Office of Investigations.
According to court documents, authorities were targeting businesses and individuals serving as money transfer agents for Al-Shafei Family Connect Inc., a money transmitting business in the Seattle area. Last month agents raided the Seattle offices.
