Fentanyl Traffickers Beware: $200M Seized in Epic DOJ Showdown! 💰🚨

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Well now, gather ’round, folks, for a tale that would make even the most hardened outlaw chuckle in disbelief! In a grand spectacle that could only be rivaled by a circus, the good folks at the Department of Justice have pulled off a heist of their own—snatching up over $200 million in cash and digital trinkets from the clutches of 270 miscreants. Yes, you heard that right! A veritable treasure trove, all thanks to a little shindig they call Operation RapTor. Sounds like a dinosaur, doesn’t it? 🦖

This operation, which sounds more like a blockbuster movie than a law enforcement initiative, set its sights on the shadowy corners of the internet where the nefarious trade of opioids, particularly that pesky fentanyl, was running rampant. It’s like a game of whack-a-mole, but with a lot more drama and a lot less fun.

DOJ’s Operation RapTor

Now, let me tell you, this wasn’t just a backyard barbecue. No sir! This operation was a full-blown international affair, with ten countries joining forces—like the Avengers, but with less spandex and more handcuffs. The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, and Brazil all pitched in to make this the most significant takedown in the history of the DOJ’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team. They confiscated more than two metric tons of drugs, including a staggering 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced goodies and over 180 firearms. Talk about a party foul! 🎉

With the help of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre and a treasure map of intelligence gathered from previous takedowns of notorious darknet markets like Nemesis and Tor2Door, they synchronized their efforts like a well-rehearsed dance troupe. And let me tell you, it was a sight to behold!

But wait, there’s more! In a twist that would make any soap opera writer proud, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) decided to join the fun, sanctioning one Behrouz Parsarad, the alleged mastermind behind Nemesis Market. He’s now facing drug trafficking charges in Ohio, proving once again that crime doesn’t pay—unless you count the time spent in a cozy cell.

In a statement that could only be described as a mic drop, FBI Director Kash Patel declared,

“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.”

OFAC Targets Nemesis

Earlier this year, the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC decided to rain on Nemesis’s parade by sanctioning 49 crypto addresses linked to the marketplace, which was allegedly responsible for a $30 million drug trade. Our friend Behrouz, the alleged founder, was busy collecting fees, laundering money, and supporting the sale of everything from fentanyl to fake IDs. Quite the entrepreneur, wouldn’t you say? 💼

Nemesis was in operation from 2021 to 2024, serving over 30,000 users. Authorities seized its servers last year along with a cool $102,000 in crypto. But despite these takedowns, the darknet marketplaces still managed to rake in a jaw-dropping $1.7 billion in revenue in 2024. It seems crime really does pay—at least for a little while!

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2025-05-26 00:40