On February 13, 2022, Mexico’s agriculture ministry announced the suspension of U.S. avocado inspections in Michoacan as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the inspections of avocados for export from Mexico’s Michoacan state will remain suspended until the U.S. is able to ensure the safety of U.S. inspectors working in Mexico after employees were threatened verbally.[1]  On February 18, the U.S. lifted the ban. On February 14, 2022, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office filed an environmental complaint against Mexico due to its failure to halt illegal fishing to protect the endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise.[2]

On February 10, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California announced the arrest of a customs broker on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with evading the payment of $1.5 million in taxes and participating in a $4.4 million wire fraud scheme, overcharging a Japanese variety store client on customs duties.[1]

On January 18, 2022, the International Bar Association (IBA) released a statement defending the principle of lawyer client confidentiality from “international attack”.  In its 30 page statement, the IBA classifies the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality as a fundamental tenet of the rule of law and cautions that this principle is under attack by bodies that investigate international corruption.

On February 7, 2022, the Department of State Secretary Anthony J. Blinken announced that the United States government is declassifying and publicizing the inclusion of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez on the U.S.’ Corrupt and Undemocratic Actions list, under Section 353 of the United States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act (NTEEA), as amended.[1]

On February 7, 2022, the Department of State Secretary Anthony J. Blinken announced that the United States government is declassifying and publicizing the inclusion of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez on the U.S.’ Corrupt and Undemocratic Actions list, under Section 353 of the United States-Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act (NTEEA), as amended.[1]

On February 7, 2022, a federal indictment unsealed in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Illinois charges Hytera Communications Corporation Ltd. (Hytera), a company based in Shenzhen, P.R.C., with conspiracy to steal trade secrets.  The indictment alleges that Hytera conspired with former employees of Motorola Solutions Inc. to steal digital mobile radio (DMR) technology developed by Motorola.[1]  The indictment has redacted all the names of the defendants, except Hytera.[2]

In December 2021, the Swiss Federal Council posted the final Ordinance specifying new due diligence requirements in an endeavor to avoid the use of child labor and conflict minerals in the Swiss supply chain.  The Ordinance entered into force on January 1, 2022 and Swiss businesses will need to begin filing on January 1, 2023. 

In November 2021, the South African Anti-Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (Samlit), a private-public partnership established by the Financial Intelligence Center, published a report on the illicit financial flows associated with international wildlife trafficking (IWT).[1]  The report is the first of its kind.

On January 19, 2022, the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies (RUSI)  published the Whitehall Report on Illegal Wildlife Trade and Illicit Finance in the UK.  It is the first independent study to address the UK’s exposure and response to IWT-linked illicit finance.

On January 31^st, 2022, former Kansas school teacher and resident, Allison Elizabeth Fluke-Ekren, made her first court appearance in Alexandria, Virginia after being charged with plotting multiple bomb attacks in the United States and training an all-female battalion for the Islamic State (ISIS), as well as her involvement in another terror group in Libya.[1]