Gonna drop a nugget of info on you, fellow anons.
>A major dig on this would require serious law enforcement or intel resources because of the widespread nature of it, but "localized digs" are possible.
Wanna know one way the Cabal launders money and operates trafficking sites? Think "raise the rent".
Take any sizeable community (think 100k plus as typical), frequently near a hub of interstates or other transshipment modes (sea and/or air).
Dig on gang members known in the area. Identify them by name. Then take a look at residential property locations (rental houses) where repeated gang activity occurs, usually shootings and drug busts. Then take a look at relationships between known gang members activities at those areas. These are all digs into law enforcement info, much of which should be available by public records requests and typically they will collate the information for you (if the department is worth a damn).
Then, take a look at who owns the houses (companies or people). That's a land records dig. Having identified those people or companies (if a company, do a dig on the people who own the company), and then take a look at your state's election office records for local/state/federal politicians and see if the owners' names turn up as donors.
The wealthier ones may also want to pass off as charitable benefactors, so look at the local/regional news for "look at me, I give generously" articles.
Drug houses are usually flop houses. Ownership and leasing to tenants is a safe way to shelter yourself, but how does the money flow? Rent will be cheap - at least, the "publicly known" amount. Do you think that maybe these landlord owners know what's going on and insist on a premium under-the-table payment to keep renting to the gang?
Hmmmm….and what if those landlord owners ALSO own hotels, restaurants & bars, convenience stores? All three are great places to launder large amounts of cash, as well as serve as secondary fronts for drug sales.
Close the loop. Go back to law enforcement records and see which owners of gang rental houses also have these business locations, and which gangs are involved in trafficking/distribution at those business locations.
And there's your major money laundering operation and "pipeline" of money up the chain to the corrupt pols. This is just one way, but it's just that simple.