A global operation known as Operation RapTor resulted in the arrest of 270 individuals across 10 countries and the seizure of $200 million in cash and cryptocurrency. The operation, initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice in collaboration with international agencies including Europol, targeted darknet drug networks exacerbating the fentanyl crisis. In addition to the significant financial haul, authorities confiscated over two metric tons of drugs, including 144 kilograms of fentanyl-laced substances, and 180 firearms. The operation also brought charges against several major traffickers, including operators of Nemesis and Incognito Markets, who have used cryptocurrency for illicit transactions. The DOJ confirmed this operation as the largest enforcement action under the J-CODE initiative, which aims to combat the use of technology and the internet for trafficking opioids. This operation illustrates the growing infiltration of cryptocurrency in the drug trade, linking Mexican cartels to Chinese suppliers and emphasizing the need for increased vigilance in the realm of digital assets.

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