Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make his 19th trip in office to Asia this week when he leads the U.S. delegation to a meeting of East Asian leaders in Laos.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend annual gatherings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos this week, a senior U.S. diplomat said Tuesday, reaffirming the Biden administration's "crystal clear" and "unmistakable" commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

Cyber crime syndicates raked in as much as $37 billion last year and are intensifying operations across Southeast Asia despite mounting law enforcement efforts, the United Nations said.

UN report says most of estimated $18 billion to $37 billion lost to cyber scam syndicates last year across East and Southeast Asia were stolen by groups based in countries of lower Mekong River

Southeast Asia has become a hotbed for cyber crime syndicates who have swiped as much as $37 billion last year through romance-investment schemes, crypto fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling,