by Blaine Howerton | NorthFortyNews.com
Regional law enforcement joins international sweep seizing fentanyl, firearms, and $200M in illegal proceeds.
A sweeping international operation led by the U.S. Department of Justice and global partners has resulted in the arrest of 270 individuals and the seizure of more than $200 million in illegal proceeds, two metric tons of narcotics—including over 144 kilograms of fentanyl—and more than 180 firearms. Dubbed Operation RapTor, the effort aims to dismantle darknet trafficking networks that have contributed to deadly opioid overdoses across the U.S., including here in Northern Colorado.
The operation included law enforcement in 26 U.S. districts and across four continents. In Northern Colorado, the Drug Task Force worked in coordination with the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in multiple cases tied to darknet activity.
Among them, a significant case involving the deaths of multiple individuals nationwide—including Colorado residents—was prosecuted with the help of the Northern Colorado Drug Task Force. Two California men were sentenced to 17 and 15 years in prison for supplying fentanyl-laced pills through encrypted darknet accounts. Investigators found these traffickers had sold more than 120,000 pills and 20 pounds of methamphetamine nationwide, with devastating effects on families from coast to coast.
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The crackdown is the largest of its kind under the Justice Department’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) initiative. International agencies, such as Europol and Interpol, as well as cybercrime units in the U.K., Germany, South Korea, and other countries, also played vital roles. In one example, federal agents traced digital payments and encrypted communications across global networks, ultimately leading to the takedown of major dark web markets like Incognito, Tor2Door, and Nemesis.
Federal investigators said the seized fentanyl alone represents a potentially life-saving disruption of lethal drug supply lines. “The success of this operation is not just in the numbers, but in the lives that will be saved,” said U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. “These traffickers hide behind screens, but our global partnerships make clear they have nowhere left to run.”
Northern Colorado residents have not been immune to the consequences of illicit online drug markets. Local law enforcement continues to report rising overdose cases connected to counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl, often bought through anonymous online marketplaces.
As the opioid epidemic continues to affect communities statewide, Operation RapTor stands as a warning to cybercriminals and a show of force from law enforcement determined to protect the public.
For more on Operation RapTor and case updates, visit the Department of Justice announcement:
justice.gov/opa/pr/law-enforcement-seize-record-amounts-illegal-drugs
Attribution: U.S. Department of Justice