Largest Takedown in JCODE’s History of Dark Web Narcotics Vendors Who Sold to Tens of Thousands of U.S. Residents
Today, the Department of Justice, through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, joined Europol to announce the results of Operation TorNado: a coordinated, multi‑agency and international law enforcement effort targeting criminal enterprises that use Dark Web markets to traffic fentanyl, opioids, and other illicit drugs. The operation, which was conducted across the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, demonstrates the continued partnership between JCODE and Europol against the illegal sale of drugs and other illicit goods and services on the Dark Web. Operation TorNado represents the sixth — and most extensive — internationally coordinated action since JCODE was created in 2018 and builds on the success of last year’s Operation RapTor. This operation included actions against Dark Web vendors and buyers who were active on prominent Dark Web drug markets seized by law enforcement including: Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom, and Tor2Door.
“Nothing will stop the Trump Administration from identifying and dismantling drug trafficking networks,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to our partnerships with state, federal, and international law enforcement through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, Operation TorNado crippled Dark Web market vendors and will bring alleged drug traffickers to justice. The Department of Justice will continue protecting the American people from lethal synthetic drugs and identifying bad actors around the globe who threaten American lives.”
Following the takedown of multiple darknet marketplaces and vendor targets in the previous JCODE operation, U.S. and international law enforcement agencies obtained intelligence to identify Dark Web drug traffickers, resulting in a series of complementary, but separate, law enforcement investigations. Operation TorNado actions have resulted in the arrest of 354 Dark Web drug traffickers and fraudulent criminals who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods and services across the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
This operation resulted in the seizure of over $234 million in both cash and virtual currencies; approximately 5.7 metric tons of illicit drugs worldwide, including fentanyl and other opioids, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and MDMA, 38 pill presses; and 209 firearms. Dark Web vendor accounts were identified and attributed to real individuals selling illicit goods on Dark Web markets such as DrugHub, Archetyp, and others. By leveraging complementary partnerships and surging resources across the U.S. government and Europol, Operation TorNado significantly disrupted the online opioid trade and sends a strong message that criminals operating on the Dark Web are not beyond the reach of law enforcement.
Operation TorNado led to 132 arrests in the United States, two in Australia, six in Austria, four in Czechia, one in Finland, 23 in France, 41 in Germany, 45 in Hungary, five in Ireland, 12 in the Netherlands, 13 in New Zealand, 11 in Slovenia, and 59 in the United Kingdom (UK).
A number of investigations are still ongoing to identify the individuals behind Dark Web accounts.
“Operation TorNado is the largest interagency takedown of Dark Web drug vendors and buyers to date, resulting in 354 arrests worldwide, including 132 in the United States,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Through the coordinated effort, this FBI and our partners collectively seized 5.7 metric tons of illicit drugs, including deadly fentanyl, as well as $234 million in cryptocurrency and cash. This FBI continues to accelerate our cyber capabilities including through our newly established Cyber Branch, evolving how we operate to meet the dynamic threat landscape presented by the Dark Web. The success of the Operation TorNado makes clear that criminals cannot hide behind technology or geography – no matter where you operate, justice will find you. Thank you to our JCODE and Homeland Security Task Force partners who continue to do elite work defending the homeland.”
“Drug traffickers are exploiting the dark web to distribute fentanyl and other deadly drugs into American communities, profiting from addiction and overdose deaths,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Operation TorNado demonstrates the strength of JCODE and our international law enforcement partnerships. DEA, working as part of the Homeland Security Task Force through our field offices, played a significant role in identifying these criminals, exposing their trafficking networks, and disrupting their operations. Whether they operate on the streets or behind anonymous online accounts, DEA will use every available investigative tool to dismantle these organizations and bring those responsible to justice.”
“Operation TorNado demonstrates the power of global partnership and underscores a vital truth: when the international law enforcement community stands united, borders offer no sanctuary to criminals,” said U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “No matter where criminals attempt to hide, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our partners around the world will pursue them, dismantle their networks, and bring them to justice. Our commitment to protecting the public and holding these criminals accountable remains unwavering.”
“The dark web is not a safe haven for criminals,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “This operation demonstrates what happens when law enforcement agencies around the world combine their intelligence, resources and expertise to dismantle criminal networks. With 354 arrests, more than five tons of drugs seized, and hundreds of millions of dollars in criminal assets taken out of circulation, we’ve sent a clear message: Criminals can operate in the shadows, but they can’t hide from justice.”
“Criminal networks may operate across borders and in the shadows of the Dark Web, but they cannot operate without money,” said Chief Jarod Koopman of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “IRS-CI is a global leader in financial crime investigations because our special agents have the expertise and international reach to follow the money, unravelling even the most complex schemes and exposing the people behind them. Operation TorNado demonstrates the power of combining financial intelligence with strong international law enforcement partnerships to disrupt illicit markets, seize criminal proceeds and hold traffickers accountable.”
“The sale of illegal drugs through darknet marketplaces carries real and often tragic consequences for consumers and communities alike,” said Assistant Commissioner Justin Green of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations. “The FDA is steadfast in its commitment to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable those who use these platforms to traffic in dangerous drugs at the expense of public health.”
The extensive operation, which spanned from May 2025 to October 2026, resulted in dozens of federal prosecutions including:
- Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, a Russian national illegally residing in the United States, and his brother Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, a naturalized U.S. citizen, were arrested in Florida for allegedly operating Dark Web vendor “BarbaraWhite,” which sold counterfeit oxycodone M30 pills laced with highly potent nitazenes, synthetic opioids that can equal or surpass fentanyl’s potency. Lab analyses, covert purchases, and surveillance tied the brothers to a clandestine pill‑manufacturing and nationwide mailing operation allegedly responsible for over one thousand parcels shipped across 49 states, with multiple fatal and non-fatal overdoses identified among recipients of their products. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute Schedule I synthetic opioids in the Eastern District of Virginia. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
- Alexander Green, 32, a U.S. citizen of Jacksonville, North Carolina, and formerly of Hazlet, New Jersey, was arrested in June for operating the STARLABS Cyber-Enabled Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), an online vendor responsible for distributing a wide array of illicit narcotics - including fentanyl - on the Monero-only Dark Web market Drughub. Operating under the moniker “STARLABS,” Green’s DTO has been linked to two overdose deaths in the Southern District of Ohio. The June 2026 enforcement action resulted in the seizure of approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine and more than two kilograms of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills with fentanyl present. Green is charged in the Southern District of Ohio with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances (fentanyl and methamphetamine). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
- Jonatan Gonzales, 35, a U.S. citizen of South Bakersfield, California, was arrested after he was identified as a Dark Web narcotics vendor “SpeedyPharma” who was shipping methamphetamine, as well as black tar heroin, cocaine, and K2 paper, to multiple addresses in western Pennsylvania, as well as to all other 49 states. Gonzales is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Western District of Pennsylvania. U.S. law enforcement seized 48 lbs. of methamphetamine, 588 grams of cocaine, 386 grams of black tar heroin, 3.5 grams of fentanyl, 2.8 grams of carfentanil, and $40,565 in cash following a search of his residence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
- Michael Morales, 25, of Bergenfield, New Jersey; Thomas A. Crisafulli, 27, of Bergenfield, Naudy Oviedo, 21, of Bronx, New York; Jayshawn Eyamazememba, 22, of Bronx, and Ethan Lara, 25, of Lodi, New Jersey, were arrested in New Jersey for their alleged roles in a New York/New Jersey distribution cell operating on behalf of a nationwide drug trafficking organization that distributed counterfeit Xanax, MDMA, ketamine, and other controlled substances through a nationwide mail-based distribution network. During the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple locations and seized approximately 300 kilograms of counterfeit Xanax, MDMA, ketamine, and other controlled substances from a residence in Lodi, New Jersey, a storage unit in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, and other locations in Bergenfield and Englewood, New Jersey. The defendants were charged in Bergen County, New Jersey, with maintaining or operating a controlled dangerous substance production facility, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and manufacturing, distributing, or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana or hashish. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office is handling the prosecution.
- Eric Turner, 30, of Lizella, Georgia, and Jose Smith, 29, of Valrico, Florida, both U.S. citizens, were arrested in June for operating a sophisticated Dark Web DTO primarily selling bulk quantities of heroin and fentanyl using the monikers Postmates and FuegoPacksXpress. Turner and Smith are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin in the Middle District of Florida. U.S. law enforcement seized 4.5 kilograms of heroin, 22 grams of fentanyl, MDMA and alprazolam tablets and 25 firearms following a search of their residences. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Operation TorNado was a collaborative initiative across JCODE members, including the Department of Justice; FBI; DEA; FDA Office of Criminal Investigations; HSI; IRS-CI; USPIS; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army-CID); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN); Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC); and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Local, state and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation TorNado investigations.
The investigations leading to Operation TorNado were significantly aided by essential support and coordination by the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) prosecutor based in The Hague, Europol and its Dark Web team and international partners Eurojust, Australian Federal Police (AFP), Austria’s Criminal Intelligence Service with various Provincial Criminal Police Offices (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter); Czechia’s National Drug Headquarters - Criminal Police and Investigation Service (Národní protidrogová centrála SKPV PČR); General Directorate of Customs (Generální ředitelství cel); Finland’s Finnish Customs (Tulli); France’s National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale); Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt); General Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt/Main, Central Office for Combating Cybercrime, Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne – Central Cybercrime Contact Point (Staatsanwaltschaft Köln, Zentral- und Ansprechstelle Cybercrime); Central Criminal Investigation in Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg); various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien); German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter); Hungary’s National Bureau of Investigation and several police departments (Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda); Ireland’s Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (An Garda Síochána); Montenegro’s Police Directorate of Montenegro (Uprava policije Crne Gore); Netherlands Team High Tech Crime (National Investigations and Special Operations (NIS) and Post Interventie Team (PIT); National Intelligence, Expertise and Operational Support (NIEO); New Zealand’s Police (Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa); Slovenia’s Illicit Drugs Section in Criminal Police Directorate (Uprava kriminalistične policije), General Police Directorate in cooperation with the Criminal Police Directorate in Maribor (Policijska uprava Maribor) and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
Federal prosecutions are being conducted in more than 20 federal districts, including: 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 Columbia, the District of Connecticut, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the Middle District of Georgia, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Indiana, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of Maryland, the District of Massachusetts, the Western District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Missouri, the Western District of Missouri, the District of Nebraska, the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Western District of Pennsylvania, the District of Puerto Rico, the District of Rhode Island, the Eastern District of Texas, the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Western District of Wisconsin.
JCODE is an FBI-led Department of Justice initiative to disrupt global drug‑trafficking networks and the digital infrastructure that enables them. Operation TorNado illustrates the investigative power of federal and international partnerships to combat the borderless nature of online criminal activity.
The Justice Department is providing intellectual property and cybercrime technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries through the ICHIP program. The Criminal Division’s ICHIP Program is jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section through partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
An indictment and criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
