Operation TorNado Arrests 354 and Seizes $234 Million

The United States Department of Justice and Europol have concluded Operation TorNado with the arrest of 354 individuals. The task force, led by the JCODE group, confiscated more than $234 million in cash and virtual currencies. The action represents the largest offensive against dark web drug buyers and sellers since 2018.

The effort took place between May 2025 and October 2026. The operation involved agencies from 14 countries and focused on markets such as Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom, and Tor2Door. Beyond the financial total, authorities seized 5.7 tons of illicit substances and 209 firearms.

Official agencies did not detail the exact split between physical cash and crypto assets in the total seized. Europol stated that forensic and blockchain analysis teams tracked illicit transactions during the period. Court documents point to the use of currencies like Monero in specific drug markets.

This is the sixth and largest action coordinated by JCODE since its inception. The international effort seeks to dismantle distribution networks for opioids and other synthetic drugs. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 38 pill presses used in the production of narcotics.