Undercover agents working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency have reportedly laundered or smuggled millions of dollars in illegal drug money out of Mexico and into the United States. The practice is intended to track the drug profits of Mexico’s violent cartels in hopes of leading the agency to senior-level figures within the criminal organizations. Citing anonymous sources within the agency, the New York Times has revealed the DEA often allows cartels to continue their operations over months, and sometimes years, before making seizures or arrests. It is unclear how much illegal money the DEA has laundered for Mexico’s criminal organizations, but last year the agency seized $1 billion in cash and drug assets, while Mexico seized an estimated $26 million.