The FBI's Albuquerque Field Office successfully disrupted a Hamas fundraising operation by seizing the infrastructure used to collect cryptocurrency donations, according to an announcement from the U.S. Justice Department. The operation resulted in the confiscation of approximately $560,000 in digital assets designated for Hamas's military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades.
Rather than attempting to track and recover individual transactions, federal agents identified and took control of the servers, domains, and rotating cryptocurrency addresses through which donations were solicited. The approach allowed investigators to intercept incoming funds at their source and gather personal data about individuals communicating with Hamas regarding donations.
How the operation unfolded
The FBI obtained warrants on March 25, June 25, and October 10, 2025, followed by additional warrants in 2026 targeting the domains and servers used to manage the AlQassam.ps website. According to court documents, investigators with assistance from informants tracked the encrypted communications directing supporters to donation websites and identified the infrastructure providers involved.
A seizure warrant identified DataCamp Limited, headquartered in London, as the service provider controlling a server at IP address 45.134.141.68 used to support the fundraising operation. The warrant required DataCamp to redirect the domain to FBI-controlled name servers and prevent further modifications to the server.
Cryptocurrencies and stablecoin involvement
Court filings identified Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wrapped Ethereum, Tether, and Tron used across multiple addresses and accounts. A June 2025 seizure warrant ordered Tether to burn USDT tokens from certain addresses and transfer equivalent funds to law enforcement accounts.
The operation exposed the role of stablecoins in the fundraising network, which aligns with broader concerns about their use in illicit activities. According to blockchain analysis cited in the investigation, stablecoins accounted for 84% of illegal cryptocurrency transactions in 2025.
Ongoing fundraising despite seizures
A previous seizure in March 2025 had confiscated approximately $201,400 in USDT and other assets from the same fundraising system. However, the network continued operating. According to an August 2026 affidavit, blockchain analysis showed the broader fundraising network had received approximately $3 million by November 2025, with FBI sources still receiving donation instructions in February 2026.
The FBI's Cyber Division and Counterterrorism units, working with the Justice Department's National Security Division, continue investigating the operation. The personal data obtained from the seized infrastructure may shift investigative focus from targeting wallets and servers to identifying individuals involved in financing the organization.
