IMG Academy, the high-profile sports boarding school based in Florida, is facing a significant financial penalty after federal authorities determined it processed tuition payments tied to individuals connected to a Mexican drug cartel.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that IMG Academy agreed to pay $1.72 million to resolve 89 apparent violations of federal counternarcotics sanctions.
According to regional news outlet WTSP, the case centers on two students who attended the Bradenton-based institution between 2018 and 2022. According to officials, their parents had been designated under U.S. sanctions for providing financial support to a drug trafficking organization.
During that period, IMG Academy accepted tuition payments ranging from roughly $98,000 to over $102,000 per year. Authorities say those payments were often routed through third-party intermediaries in Mexico, raising compliance concerns under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations.
Federal investigators concluded that the transactions effectively allowed sanctioned individuals to access the U.S. financial system. In a statement, the Treasury Department noted, “designated individuals who provided financial support and services to a sanctioned Mexican drug cartel were able to conduct commerce with U.S. persons.”
The agency also stated that IMG Academy “demonstrated reckless disregard for U.S. sanctions requirements,” citing the school’s failure to screen financial counterparties before accepting payments.
At the same time, officials described the violations as non-egregious and acknowledged that the institution cooperated once the issue came to light.
IMG Academy said it reported the matter to regulators after discovering the issue internally, although authorities indicated a federal investigation had already begun.
The school emphasized that the students’ enrollment occurred before it had a formal sanctions compliance program in place.
“IMG Academy is committed to maintaining the highest standards of compliance and integrity,” the organization said in a statement, adding that it has since implemented a “comprehensive sanctions compliance program.”
Located in Florida, IMG Academy is widely recognized for developing elite athletes across multiple sports, including football, basketball, tennis, and soccer.
Originally founded in 1978 as a tennis academy, the campus has expanded into a multi-sport training hub spanning hundreds of acres and serving student-athletes from around the world.