Border Attorneys Generals attend conference

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - On YouTube Western Union touts the ease with which people can wire money around the globe.

When you follow that money, which is what Arizona Attorney Generals Financial Crimes Task Force is doing, some trends develop that may cause some alarm.

"Whether it's drug cartels, illegal smuggling activities, or frankly maybe folks involved or connected to terrorism," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

The AG's office revealed those trends and discussed how to combat them at an International Border Attorneys Generals Conference in Scottsdale.

The AG's task force began investigating money transfers from the Middle East to Mexico.

They noted in 2015 one human smuggler received 69 money transfers from names that appeared to be of Middle Eastern origin. In fact, there were many more transfers putting Arizona even higher on one list.

Arizona is the second highest in Middle Eastern money transfers, which shows that as Middle Easterners or migrants are coming through Mexico, they are surfacing in Arizona.

"We know that six people were apprehended at the border from Middle Eastern countries, and it does cause us some concern when you see not only the spike of people coming over our southern border, but also the amount of wire transfers and money that is being sent," said Brnovich.

Brnovich's office says this conference allows US Attorneys Generals to work with Attorneys Generals from Mexico to better combat these operations. Homeland Security and Western Union and other groups are working closely to find out what the transfers really mean.