US Department of Homeland Security Creates Group to Fight Cryptocrime

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The US Department of Homeland Security has recently announced the formation of a new task force composed of five federal law enforcement agencies who will investigate crimes related to cryptocurrency and the dark web.

Arizona’s National Security Investigation Service, the US Attorney’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Postal Inspection Service signed the Memorandum of Mutual Assistance in order to increase cooperation, resources, and disrupt and eliminate criminal organizations utilizing new technologies.

Initially, the initiative will be limited to the jurisdiction of Arizona. The Ministry of National Security commented:

“Criminals have long been trying to launder the proceeds of their illegal activities through a variety of means, and technology is enabling this on a massive scale. As these attackers become more sophisticated, law enforcement tools, resources and intelligence must adapt.”

In February 2022, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation created a unit focused on analyzing on-chain activity in decentralized networks.

Additionally, in October, Interpol established another team to investigate cases involving digital assets to better aid law enforcement of different nations in combating cryptocrimes.