The U.S. Department of Treasury has issued a press release naming Kenneth A. Blanco as the incoming Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN.  Mr. Blanco, who currently serves as Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice, is expected to transition to his new position within the month.  He will replace Jamal El-Hindi, who has been serg as the Acting Director of FinCEN.  Stressing in part his work involving cross-border issues, the press release provides the following bio for Mr. Blanco:

Mr. Blanco joins Treasury after serving as the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division at the United States Department of Justice. He was appointed to the position of Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division in April 2008. During his tenure with the Criminal Division, Mr. Blanco has overseen a number of its sections, including the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (formerly the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Organized Crime and Gang Section, and the Child Exploitation Section.

Mr. Blanco has supervised many of the Criminal Division’s most significant national and international investigations into illicit finance, money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions violations, including investigations of global financial institutions and money services businesses. Much of his work is in the international banking and financial services area, working and collaborating with international partners in countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Panama, among others.

Mr. Blanco joined the Department of Justice almost two decades ago as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida. He later served as the Deputy Chief of Narcotics/Chief of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Acting Chief of Narcotics, and Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Section in that Office. Mr. Blanco has also served as General Counsel to the 94 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Executive Office of United States Attorneys and as Chief of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section.