The Department of Justice, in collaboration with the FBI and international partners, has confiscated an unprecedented quantity of illegal drugs, firearms, and proceeds from drug trafficking, as stated in a press release on Thursday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, together with the DOJ’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team and international law enforcement partners, revealed the outcomes of Operation RapTor, a significant initiative targeting dark web drug trafficking. This operation resulted in the apprehension of 270 dark web vendors, buyers, and administrators across Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Operation RapTor represents the largest seizure in the history of JCODE, yielding over $200 million in cash and digital assets, more than two metric tons of narcotics, 144 kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl-laced substances, and over 180 firearms, according to the DOJ.
“This significant global confiscation of weapons, lethal narcotics, and illicit finances will preserve lives,” stated Bondi. “Criminals can no longer conceal themselves behind computer screens or find sanctuary on the dark web – this Justice Department is committed to identifying and eradicating threats to the American populace, no matter their source.”
“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have caused chaos throughout our nation and have directly contributed to the fentanyl epidemic and gun violence affecting our American communities and neighborhoods. However, the simplicity and availability of their criminal activities come to an end today,” remarked FBI Director Kash Patel.
“The FBI could not accomplish this task without the collaboration of our partners both domestically and internationally, and the remarkable success of this year’s unprecedented quantity of fentanyl, firearms, and narcotics confiscated demonstrates that our initiatives are effective,” he stated. “Anyone attempting to anonymously endanger our citizens through illegal darknet trafficking: your days of impunity are numbered.”
“These individuals who distributed harmful substances on the dark web may have believed they were invulnerable — concealing themselves behind screens, promoting fentanyl, exacerbating overdoses, and profiting from suffering. Nevertheless, Operation RapTor has unequivocally disproven that notion,” remarked DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy.
“The DEA and our international partners collaborated across borders, platforms, and currencies to dismantle their networks. Let this serve as a caution: no disguise, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can shield you from the consequences of justice,” Murphy further emphasized.
Operation RapTor represented a synchronized global initiative involving law enforcement agencies from the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia, focused on disrupting fentanyl and opioid trafficking, as well as the sale of other illicit goods and services on the darknet, as highlighted in the DOJ press release.
The operation leverages the achievements of prior years, which include the dismantling of significant darknet marketplaces like Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. These confiscations have equipped law enforcement with crucial intelligence and investigative leads.
According to the release, JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) are persistently enhancing intelligence packages aimed at identifying and targeting essential entities engaged in darknet criminal activities.
“Operation RapTor demonstrates that the dark web is not beyond the jurisdiction of law enforcement,” stated Edvardas Šileris, Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre. “Through collaborative efforts and intelligence sharing, law enforcement officials across three continents have identified and apprehended suspects, delivering a strong message to those who believe they can conceal themselves in the shadows.
“Europol will persist in its collaboration with our partners to enhance internet safety for all,” Šileris further remarked.
“This unprecedented operation conveys a definitive message to every trafficker operating behind a screen—your anonymity ceases where our global reach commences,” remarked Acting Director Todd Lyons of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Owing to the relentless dedication of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol, and our international allies, we are deciphering the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are within our view, and we will not relent,” he concluded.
