Law enforcement agencies announced the results of Operation TorNado on Thursday, a coordinated effort between the U.S. Justice Department and Europol targeting dark web drug vendors and buyers. The operation resulted in 354 arrests and the seizure of more than $234 million in cash and virtual currencies, marking what the FBI characterized as the largest takedown of dark web drug vendors and buyers to date.
The operation was conducted by JCODE, the FBI-led Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team created in 2018. Operation TorNado is the sixth internationally coordinated action by JCODE since its establishment and builds on the previous Operation RapTor. The sweep ran from May 2025 to October 2026, with coordination across agencies in 14 countries.
Law enforcement targeted vendors and buyers active on five previously seized dark web markets: Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom, and Tor2Door. Investigators also identified accounts on DrugHub, forums, single-vendor shops, and encrypted messaging services.
Seizures and Geographic Distribution
The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 5.7 metric tons of illicit drugs worldwide, including fentanyl and other opioids, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and MDMA. Law enforcement also seized 38 pill presses and 209 firearms globally.
Europol reported that the European share of seizures exceeded €60 million in cash and cryptocurrencies, along with 950 kilograms of drugs and 57 firearms. The U.S. share exceeded €150 million, or approximately $166 million, in cash and cryptocurrencies, plus more than 4.8 metric tons of drugs and 152 firearms.
In the United States, Operation TorNado produced 132 arrests. The United Kingdom saw 59 arrests, Hungary 45, and Germany 41, with additional arrests in France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Austria, Ireland, Czechia, Australia, and Finland.
Notable Cases
Court documents highlight individual cases from the operation. Alexander Green, 32, of Jacksonville, North Carolina, was arrested in June and charged in the Southern District of Ohio with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl. Prosecutors say he allegedly operated a vendor called STARLABS on DrugHub and that the group has been linked to two overdose deaths. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
In Florida, brothers Stanislav Chernyshov, 30, and Vladislav Chernyshov, 35, were charged in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to distribute Schedule I synthetic opioids. Prosecutors allege they ran a vendor called "BarbaraWhite," selling counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with nitazenes and shipping more than 1,000 parcels across 49 states. Each faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Ongoing Investigations
The Justice Department stated that a number of investigations remain ongoing to identify individuals behind remaining dark web accounts. Federal prosecutions are underway in more than 20 districts. An indictment or complaint only alleges that crimes were committed, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
