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NEW YORK - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, working with its legislation enforcement partners, performed an unprecedented operation to infiltrate and destabilize U.S. based mostly Darknet vendors working across a number of markets across the nation.

Special Agents of HSI New York, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of new York, posed as a money launderer on Darknet market websites, exchanging U.S. currency for virtual currency. Through this operation, HSI New York was in a position to identify numerous vendors of illicit items, leading to the opening of greater than 90 energetic cases around the nation. The money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, working with more than forty U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, coordinated the nationwide investigation of over 65 targets, that lead to the arrest and impending prosecution of more than 35 Darknet vendors.

These results have been introduced by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Executive Associate Director Derek Benner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez of HSI New York Field Office, Inspector in Charge Peter R. Rendina of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) New York Division, Assistant Director Kenneth Jenkins of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Office of Investigations, and Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division.

"Criminals who assume that they're protected on the Darknet are unsuitable," mentioned Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. "We can expose their networks, and we're determined to convey them to justice. Today, we arrested greater than 35 alleged Darknet distributors. We seized their weapons, their medication, and $23.6 million of their sick-gotten beneficial properties. This nationwide enforcement effort will scale back the supply of deadly drugs like fentanyl which might be killing an unprecedented number of Americans. I want to thank our federal prosecutors, and the dedicated federal agents with DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, and the key Service for his or her outstanding work."

"Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners will spare no useful resource or expense to shine a gentle on the sale and distribution of illicit and dangerous objects on the Darknet, that serve to destroy the lives of many through addiction and despair," mentioned Inspector in Charge Rendina. "Today’s announcement of our law enforcement partnership and operation sends a powerful message to those that select this illegal path, we are watching and will carry you to justice in your crimes against the American public."

"The Secret Service is proud to work with our law enforcement companions to help fight one in every of the biggest threats to the U.S. financial infrastructure, cash laundering with virtual foreign money," said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Jenkins. "The Secret Service continues to adapt together with these cyber criminals to take care of our stage of success in stopping them."

"At this crucial time of unprecedented drug related deaths, one in every of the best threats we face is cyber drug trafficking," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Hunt. "Because the Darknet invitations criminals into our houses, and supplies unlimited entry to illegal commerce, legislation enforcement is taking steps to determine and arrest those concerned. I applaud all of the companies who participated in this groundbreaking investigation."

The intensive operation, which culminated in 4 weeks of more than a hundred enforcement actions around the nation, resulted in the next:

- Federal arrests of more than 35 Darknet distributors who engaged in tens of 1000's of gross sales of illicit goods;
- Execution of 70 search warrants, ensuing within the seizure of large quantities of unlawful narcotics, together with 333 bottles of liquid synthetic opioids, over 100,000 tramadol pills, 100 grams of fentanyl, more than 24 kilograms of Xanax, and extra seizures of Oxycodone, MDMA, cocaine, LSD, marijuana, and a psychedelic mushroom develop present in a residence;
- Seizure of greater than 100 firearms, together with handguns, assault rifles, and a grenade launcher;
- Seizure of five vehicles that were purchased with illicit proceeds and/or used to facilitate criminal exercise;
- Seizure of greater than $3.6 million in U.S. foreign money and gold bars;
- Seizure of almost 2,000 Bitcoins and different cryptocurrencies, with an approximate worth of more than $20 million;
- Confiscation of 15 pill presses, that are used to create unlawful synthetic opioids; and
- Seizure of Bitcoin mining devices, laptop gear, and vacuum sealers.
Amongst these cost federally the brand new York space embody:

Antonio Tirado, 26, and Jeffrey Morales, 32, of the Bronx, New York, have been arrested on June 18, mega darknet and individually charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of recent York with distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, LSD (also known as "acid"), marijuana, and hashish oil. Additionally, Tirado was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses. Following an investigation into a Darknet marketplace vendor using the moniker "Trapgod," investigators executed search warrants at houses in two residential neighborhoods within the Bronx leading to Tirado and Morales. As alleged within the complaints, during the execution of the search warrants on the Tirado and Morales residences, agents seized managed substances including powder cocaine, marijuana, and LSD, in addition to various precursor powders, liquids, and reagents, and other narcotics-associated paraphernalia together with marijuana growing equipment, a home chemistry lab, scales, and heat sealing packaging supplies. In Tirado’s residence, agents recovered a totally loaded shotgun alongside a narcotics stash. Investigators in Tirado’s house recovered further proof of Darknet narcotics distribution, such as numerous U.S. Postal Service shipping packing containers, already addressed to clients across the United States, which boxes contained hairbrushes a few of which had already been full of powder cocaine for distribution.

Jian Qu, 30; Raymond Weng, 24; and Kai Wu, 22, all of Queens, New York, along with Dimitri Tseperkas, 22, and Cihad Akkaya, 22, of Middle Island and Port Jefferson, New York, respectively, were each arrested on June 18, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of recent York with participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Tseperkas and Akkaya have been additionally charged with firearms offenses regarding the drug conspiracy. Investigators monitoring Darknet marketplaces found accounts utilized by some of the conspirators, leading brokers to execute search warrants at three addresses in residential communities in Flushing and Mt. Sinai, New York. From the residences, agents recovered approximately $400,000 in U.S. currency, 140 kilograms of suspected marijuana and an extra 10 kilograms of suspected marijuana vape cartridges, 12 kilograms of suspected Xanax pills, over half a kilogram of suspected ecstasy, four pill presses, mixers, and pill press components, over a dozen kilograms of varied powders, packaging materials, and paraphernalia. While searching the residence where Akkaya and Tseperkas were found, investigators recovered three loaded shotguns, together with a tactical double-barreled shotgun loaded with 14 shells, and over 50 shotgun shells, as well as important portions of narcotics, packaging materials, and paraphernalia including a money-counting machine. Review of digital evidence recovered from the residences proved the conspirators’ connections to Darknet marketplaces, use of cryptocurrency, and narcotics distribution schemes.

Greater than 50 Darknet vendor accounts were recognized and attributed to the actual individuals selling illicit items on Darknet market sites corresponding to Silk Road, AlphaBay, Hansa, Dream, and others. HSI New York Field Division and MLARS coordinated with law enforcement and federal prosecutors to research sixty five targets identified by the undercover operation in greater than 50 Federal districts, including: the District of Arizona, the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Western District of Arkansas, the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Connecticut, the Middle District of Florida, the Northern District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Iowa, the District of Kansas, the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Michigan, the District of Minnesota, the Eastern District of North Carolina, the Western District of North Carolina, the District of new Hampshire, the Northern District of new York, the Southern District of latest York, the Western District of new York, the District of North Dakota, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the District of Oregon, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the District of South Carolina, the District of South Dakota, the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of Vermont, the Eastern District of Washington, and the Western District of Washington.FBI was part of the investigative workforce in the Northern District of California.

HSI would additionally like to thank U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the new York City Police Department (NYPD). The investigation is ongoing.