The US Justice Department and Europol have announced the results of Operation TorNado, and the numbers are huge: 354 arrests across 14 countries, including 132 in the United States. Officials say investigators seized about 5.7 metric tons of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and other opioids, along with 209 firearms and more than $234 million in cash and cryptocurrency. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the operation crippled dark web market vendors and will bring alleged drug traffickers to justice. The Justice Department called it the largest takedown in the history of JCODE, its Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement team. It is also the sixth internationally coordinated action by the group since it was created in 2018.

The operation ran for about 17 months, from May 2025 to October 2026, and went after vendors and buyers who were active on dark web markets that police had already shut down, including Archetyp, Bohemia, Nemesis, Kingdom and Tor2Door. Investigators combined cyber expertise, digital evidence and traditional police work to identify the people behind anonymous accounts, and officials say those vendors made tens of thousands of sales to US residents. Beyond the US, the biggest arrest totals came from the United Kingdom with 59, Hungary with 45 and Germany with 41. Authorities say more investigations are still underway to identify the people behind remaining accounts. Those arrested are accused, not convicted, and dark web markets have a record of adapting after each crackdown, so the real test is whether this one sticks.