Transnational repression––the practice of authoritarian regimes targeting dissidents beyond their borders—has become an increasingly urgent issue, threatening not only individual freedoms but also the integrity of host nations that provide refuge to exiles. A new report from Freedom House covering a decade of data highlights the extent of this phenomenon, detailing 1,219 incidents perpetrated by 48 governments in 103 countries. As democracies work to counter these tactics, the issue remains fraught with challenges, including a lack of a uniform definition, legal gaps in protection mechanisms, and concerns over the misuse of Interpol red notices to justify politically motivated extraditions.[1]

On March 2, 2025, the United States charged Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar,” a member of the terrorist organization the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), with furnishing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, contravening 18 U.S.C. § 2339B.[1]  

On February 28, 2025, London’s High Court, the Court of Appeal, delivered its ruling in the widely reported case of Mr. Sanjay Bhandari[1] refusing his extradition to India.

On February 24, 2025, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that Aux Cayes Fintech Co. Ltd, d/b/a “OkEx,” d/b/a “OKX”, a Seychelles-based entity that since 2017 has operated one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, pled guilty to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.[1] OKX agreed to pay monetary penalties of more than $504 million.[2]

Over the last month, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has issued multiple reports expressing concern over the alarming rate of sexual violence against minors occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There have always been concerning rates of sexual violence in the DRC but since M23 has taken control of the eastern region of the country, these numbers have skyrocketed. According to UNICEF, since January 24, 2025, “the cases of sexual violence have risen by more than two and a half times. Abductions have increased sixfold, killing and maiming is up sevenfold, and attacks on schools and hospitals have multiplied by 12.”[1]

The saga of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) continues to take many twists and turns. On February 17, 2025, in Smith et al v. U.S. Department of Treasury, et al,[1] the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District issued an order staying the preliminary injunction. As a result, FinCEN issued a notice that it is generally extending the deadline by 30 calendar days from February 19, 2025 (until March 21) for most companies because it realizes that reporting companies may need more time to comply with their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting obligations. The deadline will apply to the bulk of reporting companies to file an initial, updated, and/or corrected BOI report.

On February 27, 2025, Mexico released and handed over to U.S. custody 29 Mexican nationals charged with several criminal offenses[1] sought after by U.S. authorities.[2] The transfer took place in parallel to a high-level Mexican delegation arriving in Washington[3] to meet with senior U.S. officials on a security agreement at a moment of bilateral tensions. Due to the number, but —most importantly— because Rafael Caro Quintero was included in the group,[4] it has been hailed in American law enforcement circles as a major victory. It is being considered as a clear signal that Mexico’s president plans to cooperate with Pres. Trump’s  administration —in the aftermath of designating drug trafficking cartels as terrorists[5] and in the midst of threatened U.S. tariffs for Mexican products.[6]

The saga of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) continues to take many twists and turns. On February 17, 2025, in Smith et al v. U.S. Department of Treasury, et al,[1] the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District issued an order staying the preliminary injunction. As a result, FinCEN issued a notice that it is generally extending the deadline by 30 calendar days from February 19, 2025 (until March 21) for most companies because it realizes that reporting companies may need more time to comply with their Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting obligations. The deadline will apply to the bulk of reporting companies to file an initial, updated, and/or corrected BOI report.

On February 20, 2025, Mexico extradited two alleged members of the Barrio Azteca (BA), a transnational criminal organization, associated with the Juarez Cartel, to face criminal charges concerning the March 2010 murders of U.S. Consulate employees in Juarez, Mexico. Eduardo Ravelo, also known as Tablas, Tablero, and T-Blas, and Enrique Guajardo Lopez, also known as Kiki, made their initial appearances on February 24 in the Western District of Texas. In March 2011, U.S. law enforcement unsealed a 12-count third superseding indictment[1] against both defendants. Ravelo is a former FBI Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive.[2]

On February 12, 2025, Estonian nationals Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turõgin pled guilty to participating in a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that collected over $500 million from hundreds of thousands of people.