Secret Service USSS Office Of Investigations
NEW YORK - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York, working with its law enforcement partners, carried out an unprecedented operation to infiltrate and destabilize U.S. based mostly Darknet vendors working across a number of markets around the country.
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 cash launderer on mega darknet market websites, exchanging U.S. forex for digital forex. Through this operation, HSI New York was able to establish numerous distributors of illicit items, resulting in the opening of greater than 90 active circumstances across the country. The cash 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 country, coordinated the nationwide investigation of over 65 targets, that lead to the arrest and impending prosecution of more than 35 Darknet distributors.
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," stated Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein. "We can expose their networks, and we're decided to convey them to justice. Today, we arrested more than 35 alleged Darknet vendors. We seized their weapons, their medicine, and $23.6 million of their ailing-gotten positive aspects. This nationwide enforcement effort will cut back the provision of deadly medication like fentanyl which might be killing an unprecedented variety of Americans. I want to thank our federal prosecutors, and the devoted federal agents with DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Postal Inspection Service, and the key Service for his or her excellent work."
"Postal Inspectors and their legislation enforcement companions will spare no useful resource or expense to shine a gentle on the sale and distribution of illicit and harmful gadgets on the Darknet, that serve to destroy the lives of many by means of addiction and despair," stated Inspector in Charge Rendina. "Today’s announcement of our law enforcement partnership and operation sends a robust message to those who choose this unlawful path, we are watching and can bring you to justice to your crimes towards the American public."
"The Secret Service is proud to work with our law enforcement companions to help combat considered one of the biggest threats to the U.S. financial infrastructure, cash laundering with virtual forex," said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Jenkins. "The Secret Service continues to adapt together with these cyber criminals to maintain our level of success in stopping them."
"At this crucial time of unprecedented drug associated deaths, one in every of the best threats we face is cyber drug trafficking," mentioned DEA Special Agent in Charge Hunt. "Because the Darknet invites criminals into our properties, and offers limitless entry to illegal commerce, regulation enforcement is taking steps to determine and arrest those involved. I applaud all the agencies who participated on this groundbreaking investigation."
The in depth operation, which culminated in 4 weeks of greater than a hundred enforcement actions around the country, resulted in the next:
- Federal arrests of more than 35 Darknet distributors who engaged in tens of hundreds of sales of illicit goods;
- Execution of 70 search warrants, ensuing in the seizure of massive quantities of illegal 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 grow present in a residence;
- Seizure of more than a hundred firearms, together with handguns, assault rifles, and a grenade launcher;
- Seizure of five autos that had been bought with illicit proceeds and/or used to facilitate criminal activity;
- Seizure of more than $3.6 million in U.S. foreign money and gold bars;
- Seizure of practically 2,000 Bitcoins and different cryptocurrencies, with an approximate worth of greater than $20 million;
- Confiscation of 15 pill presses, which are used to create unlawful synthetic opioids; and
- Seizure of Bitcoin mining devices, laptop gear, and vacuum sealers.
Amongst these charge federally the new York area embrace:
Antonio Tirado, 26, and Jeffrey Morales, 32, of the Bronx, New York, had been arrested on June 18, and separately charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of latest York with distribution and possession with intent to distribute narcotics, including cocaine, LSD (also called "acid"), marijuana, and hashish oil. Additionally, Tirado was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offenses. Following an investigation right into a Darknet marketplace vendor utilizing the moniker "Trapgod," investigators executed search warrants at homes in two residential neighborhoods within the Bronx leading to Tirado and Morales. As alleged in the complaints, through the execution of the search warrants on the Tirado and Morales residences, brokers seized managed substances including powder cocaine, marijuana, and LSD, as well as varied precursor powders, liquids, and reagents, and different narcotics-associated paraphernalia including marijuana growing tools, a house chemistry lab, scales, and heat sealing packaging materials. In Tirado’s residence, brokers recovered a completely loaded shotgun alongside a narcotics stash. Investigators in Tirado’s house recovered extra evidence of Darknet narcotics distribution, equivalent to numerous U.S. Postal Service transport bins, already addressed to clients around the United States, which containers contained hairbrushes a few of which had already been filled with 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, had been each arrested on June 18, and charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of new York with participation in a conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Tseperkas and Akkaya were additionally charged with firearms offenses relating to the drug conspiracy. Investigators monitoring Darknet marketplaces discovered accounts utilized by a few 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, brokers recovered roughly $400,000 in U.S. forex, 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 elements, over a dozen kilograms of varied powders, packaging supplies, and paraphernalia. While looking out the residence the place 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 proof recovered from the residences proved the conspirators’ connections to Darknet marketplaces, use of cryptocurrency, and narcotics distribution schemes.
More than 50 Darknet vendor accounts were identified and attributed to the real people promoting illicit items on Darknet market websites equivalent to Silk Road, AlphaBay, Hansa, Dream, and others. HSI New York Field Division and MLARS coordinated with legislation enforcement and federal prosecutors to analyze 65 targets recognized by the undercover operation in more 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 latest Hampshire, the Northern District of new York, the Southern District of latest York, the Western District of latest 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 a part of the investigative team within the Northern District of California.
HSI would also like to thank U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the brand new York City Police Department (NYPD). The investigation is ongoing.