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“This historic international seizure of firearms, deadly drugs, and illegal funds will save lives,” said Bondi. “Criminals cannot hide behind computer screens or seek refuge on the dark web – this Justice Department will identify and eliminate threats to the American people regardless of where they originate.”
The FBI’s leadership didn’t mince words. Director Kash Patel condemned the traffickers who used digital anonymity as a shield to peddle poison.
“By cowardly hiding online, these traffickers have wreaked havoc across our country and directly fueled the fentanyl crisis and gun violence impacting our American communities and neighborhoods. But the ease and accessibility of their crimes ends today,” Patel declared.
He emphasized the crucial role of international partnerships: “The FBI could not do this work without our partners both at home and abroad, and the staggering success of this year’s record-breaking amount of fentanyl, guns, and drugs seized prove that our efforts are working. Anyone looking to anonymously harm our citizens through illicit darknet trafficking: your days of recklessness are numbered.”
DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy echoed those sentiments, slamming the traffickers for exploiting anonymity to push deadly drugs.
“These predators who peddled poison on the dark web might have thought they are untouchable — hiding behind screens, pushing fentanyl, fueling overdoses, and cashing in on misery. However, Operation RapTor just proved them wrong,” Murphy said.
He added, “DEA and our global partners reached across borders, across platforms, and across currencies to rip their networks apart. Let this stand as a warning: no mask, no marketplace, and no digital wallet can hide you from facing justice.”
Operation RapTor wasn’t just a U.S. effort. This was a massive international campaign, coordinated with Europe, South America, and Asia. The mission focused on dismantling the infrastructure that allows fentanyl, opioids, weapons, and other contraband to be sold anonymously on the dark web.
Authorities say the operation builds on the momentum of previous victories, such as the takedowns of online marketplaces like Nemesis, Tor2Door, Bohemia, and Kingdom Markets. Those earlier seizures provided law enforcement with key intelligence that helped fuel this year’s offensive.
According to the DOJ, JCODE and Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) continue to refine intelligence strategies to track and expose the masterminds behind these illicit operations.
“Operation RapTor shows that the dark web is not beyond the reach of law enforcement,” said Edvardas Šileris, Head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre. “Through close cooperation and intelligence sharing, officers across three continents identified and arrested suspects, sending a clear message to those who think they can hide in the shadows.”
Šileris vowed continued cooperation to make the internet a safer space: “Europol will continue working with our partners to make the internet safer for everyone.”
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also had a strong presence in the operation. Acting Director Todd Lyons made it clear that cybercriminals are running out of places to hide.
“This record-breaking operation sends a clear message to every trafficker hiding behind a screen—your anonymity ends where our global reach begins,” Lyons stated. “Thanks to the unwavering efforts by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Europol, and our international partners, we’re cracking the code of the so-called ‘safe spaces’ for cybercriminals—they are in our sights and we’re not backing down.”
Great job!