Key facts
- Donald Trump's legal team has requested a delay in the trial concerning classified documents.
- The defense cited the extensive amount of evidence to be reviewed.
- The upcoming presidential election was also cited as a reason for the requested delay.
- Prosecutors have opposed the motion, viewing it as a delaying tactic.
- The judge has yet to make a decision on the request.
Southeast Asia-based criminal groups are leveraging integrated networks and technology to build a rapidly growing illicit economy that extends far beyond Asia. Scams alone caused estimated combined losses of $88.3 billion to $114.1 billion in 2025, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The report details how transnational crime, once concentrated in Southeast Asia, has expanded globally, with international criminal groups also engaging in drug, human, and wildlife trafficking within Asia. Criminals are utilizing new technologies for money laundering through global financial systems and employing artificial intelligence for victim theft worldwide. The report highlights the increasing risk to children, noting a significant rise in AI-generated child sexual images and exploitation through online gaming and social media. East Asian crime syndicates are using malware, generative AI, and deepfakes for sexual extortion and exploitation, increasing risks of abuse and grooming. Victims are also being trafficked for sex, domestic servitude, forced begging, and forced labor. The combined annual sales of illicit drugs in Southeast Asia and nearby countries are estimated at up to $109 billion, with significant increases in seizures of methamphetamines, heroin, and ketamine. The Sulu-Celebes maritime region is identified as a key corridor for cocaine shipments from Latin America to Asia, as well as for smuggling wildlife and small arms. Thailand and Vietnam are increasingly sources of cannabis for illegal markets in Japan and Europe. The report outlines a "criminal service infrastructure" supported by cross-border financial and technology networks, using cryptocurrency, encrypted communications, and generative AI for phishing and deepfake content. Satellite communications enable scam compounds to operate remotely. Authorities are urged to adopt a coordinated, cross-border strategy. As crackdowns on large scam centers in border regions of Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia intensify, criminals are relocating operations globally or going underground, making them harder to track and dismantle.