Operation TorNado: 354 Arrested, $234 Million Seized In Global Dark Web Drug Crackdown

Authored by Jacki Thrapp via The Epoch Times,

U.S. and international authorities arrested hundreds of people and seized drugs, guns, cash, and cryptocurrency in Operation TorNado, a crackdown on dark web sales of fentanyl and other drugs, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Nov. 12.

The department put the total at 354 arrests and said the cash and cryptocurrency seized were worth more than $234 million.

Vendors and buyers on dark web marketplaces such as Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom, and Tor2Door were caught in the crackdown.

The arrests included 132 in the United States, 59 in the UK, 45 in Hungary, 41 in Germany, 23 in France, 13 in New Zealand, 12 in the Netherlands, 11 in Slovenia, six in Austria, five in Ireland, four in Czechia, two in Australia, and one in Finland.

The department described Operation TorNado as a coordinated, multi‑agency, and international law enforcement effort.

The department’s Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team and Europol jointly announced the results, marking the latest operation in their ongoing partnership against illicit trade on the dark web.

“Operation TorNado represents the sixth – and most extensive – internationally coordinated action since JCODE was created in 2018,” the DOJ said.

An undisclosed number of investigations are still underway to identify people behind dark web accounts.

The SpeedyPharma Case

One of the suspected drug traffickers was Jonatan Gonzales, 35, of South Bakersfield, California. Gonzales, known by the dark web distributor name SpeedyPharma, allegedly used his home to ship illegal drugs to multiple addresses across the country.

Law enforcement officers seized 48 pounds of methamphetamine, 386 grams of black tar heroin, 588 grams of cocaine, $40,565 in cash, 2.8 grams of carfentanil, and 3.5 grams of fentanyl at his home.

“Now that might not sound like a lot of fentanyl, but remember, the potentially lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams,” Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a press conference in Washington on Nov. 12. “That means that the amount of fentanyl seized at his residence was potentially lethal to over 1,700 people.”

Blanche elaborated, saying that the amount of fentanyl, if taken, could kill everyone in a small town or a graduating class of high school or college.

“There’s no doubt that Operation TorNado saved lives across the country, and there is nothing that will stop this administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from synthetic drugs, which are lethal,” he said.

.@AGToddBlanche: “There is no doubt that Operation TorNado saved lives across the country, and there is nothing that will stop this administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from synthetic drugs, which are lethal.” https://t.co/P7fyEZx63t pic.twitter.com/SEndKxuXp4

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) November 12, 2026

Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, said the accused criminals were “exploiting” the service and other carriers in order to ship the drugs.

“When they utilize the mail for those transactions, these criminals threaten the safety of postal employees and the integrity of the postal network that hundreds of millions in the U.S. and across the globe depend on every day,” Barksdale said.

FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency has accelerated cyber capabilities with a newly established Cyber Branch, which is evolving to meet threats on the dark web.

“The success of Operation TorNado makes clear that criminals cannot hide behind technology or geography – no matter where you operate, justice will find you,” Patel said.