Counterterrorism Chief Discusses Efforts to Fight Terrorist Financing

Ralph S. Boelter, acting assistant director of the Counterterrorism Division, today discussed FBI efforts to fight terrorist financing with a Senate subcommittee in Washington, D.C. In particular, he highlighted the role of the Terrorism Financing Operations Section, or TFOS, which was established shortly after 9/11.

“The efforts of TFOS—in close coordination with our federal, state, and local partners; the financial industry; and our international partners—have established an increasingly difficult environment within which terrorist financiers can operate undetected," Boelter said in his statement. "We believe that these efforts have reduced the funding available for terrorist operations and have made the concealment and transfer of terrorism related funds more difficult."

Just in the last year, Boelter said, the FBI has conducted terrorist financing investigations which led to the indictment of individuals for providing funding to the Pakistani Taliban, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and al Shabaab. The al Shabaab indictments involved a network which used teleconferences to raise funds and then remitted the money to al Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.”