ABA Banking Journal
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
SUBSCRIBE
ABA Banking Journal
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home ABA Banking Journal

Podcast: The Challenges of Banking on the U.S.-Mexico Border

April 17, 2019
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Podcast: The Challenges of Banking on the U.S.-Mexico Border

On the latest ABA Banking Journal Podcast, Ignacio Urrabazo talks about the unique challenges of banking on the U.S.-Mexico border. A nearly half-century veteran of banking, Urrabazo is president and CEO of Commerce Bank in Laredo, Texas, a subsidiary of IBC.

The requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act pose a significant challenge for his bank due in part to the interconnected nature of the border region economy and in part to a cash-intensive market where Mexicans shop on the Texas side with hard dollar currency. “Every officer in the bank is doing due diligence and talking to customers and making sure we are doing the right thing,” says Urrabazo. “Our international officers go to Mexico and check to make sure they are legitimate businesses over there. Everyone is a BSA officer, even though we have one designated one.”

Distinguishing between issues of immigration and trade, Urrabazo also expresses concern about the threat of closing border entrances. Noting that 14,000 trucks cross the border at Laredo each day — carrying $265 billion worth of merchandise last year, with much of the trade infrastructure financed by Commerce Bank — he says a border closure “wouldn’t be a recession; it would be a depression for us. . . . It would be a catastrophe. It would affect our bank directly.”

Urrabazo also discusses his efforts to increase diversity in banking, how excessive regulation has hindered bankers’ ability to serve lower-income customers and how Commerce Bank meets the needs of Spanish-speaking clients in its 95% Hispanic market.

If you can’t see the audio player above, click here to listen to this episode.

In this episode:

Ignacio Urrabazo President and CEO Commerce Bank
Joan Gregory Saenz SVP, Congressional Relations, ABA
Evan Sparks
Editor-in-Chief
ABA Banking Journal

 

ADVERTISEMENT
Tags: ABA Banking Journal PodcastAnti-money launderingBank Secrecy ActTrade financeWorkforce excellence
ShareTweetPin

Related Posts

FBI: Crypto-related fraud losses increased 45% in 2023

Justice Department seizes millions of dollars linked to alleged crypto investment scams

Compliance and Risk
June 20, 2025

The Department of Justice announced it has seized $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment scams. The action marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in Secret Service history.

ABA urges FinCEN to reevaluate BOI collection burden on banks

FinCEN releases figures on BSA filings

Compliance and Risk
June 20, 2025

Financial institutions filed 4.7 million suspicious activity reports in fiscal year 2024. They filed 20.5 million currency transaction reports during the same time frame.

FinCEN to propose new rules on money laundering, whistleblower program

Treasury official outlines principles for Bank Secrecy Act modernization

Compliance and Risk
June 18, 2025

The Treasury Department is exploring ways to streamline the filing process for suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports as part of a broader effort to modernize BSA enforcement, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender said.

Podcast: Staying close to clients amid tariff-driven volatility

Podcast: Staying close to clients amid tariff-driven volatility

ABA Banking Journal Podcast
June 18, 2025

Amid tariff-related volatility, how are small and midsize businesses and the banks that serve them faring?

FDIC, OCC tighten policy considerations for bank merger applications

Report: Bank merger activity continues at steady pace

Community Banking
June 18, 2025

While there was a temporary stall in bank merger activity in early 2025 because of the economic fallout of tariffs and other Trump administration policies, overall quarterly deal announcements have held steady, according to a new analysis by...

ABA suggests splitting proposal to expand Fedwire, NSS operating hours

FATF releases revisions to international standard for payment transparency

Compliance and Risk
June 18, 2025

FAFT announced several revisions to its recommendation on payments transparency, which it said will enhance the safety and security of cross-border payments to better detect financial crime.

NEWSBYTES

ABA DataBank: Planned/announced office conversions spike

June 20, 2025

OCC releases mortgage performance report for Q1 2025

June 20, 2025

Justice Department seizes millions of dollars linked to alleged crypto investment scams

June 20, 2025

SPONSORED CONTENT

AI Compliance and Regulation: What Financial Institutions Need to Know

Unlocking Deposit Growth: How Financial Institutions Can Activate Data for Precision Cross-Sell

June 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

April 25, 2025
Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

April 5, 2025
Six Payments Trends Driving the Future of Transactions

Six Payments Trends Driving the Future of Transactions

March 15, 2025

PODCASTS

Podcast: Staying close to clients amid tariff-driven volatility

June 18, 2025

Podcast: Old National’s Jim Ryan on the things that really matter

June 12, 2025

Podcast: What bankers need to know about ‘First Amendment audits’

June 5, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT

American Bankers Association
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
1-800-BANKERS (800-226-5377)
www.aba.com
About ABA
Privacy Policy
Contact ABA

ABA Banking Journal
About ABA Banking Journal
Media Kit
Advertising
Subscribe

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.