The U.S. Secret Service, in a coordinated strike with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies, has officially seized the website of Garantex. The Moscow-based cryptocurrency exchange, long accused of facilitating ransomware hackers and darknet market operations, saw its domain replaced on Thursday with a federal seizure notice issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
A Multi-National Crackdown on Illicit Finance
The operation represents a significant escalation in Western efforts to dismantle the infrastructure supporting illicit digital asset flows. According to the seizure notice, the action was executed alongside a massive task force, including the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, Europol, and police agencies from the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, and Estonia.
Nate Herring, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service, confirmed that the agency seized domains associated with the operation of Garantex as part of an ongoing investigation. While the FBI and other participating agencies have declined to provide specific details, the seizure marks a definitive blow to the exchange’s accessibility.
History of Sanctions and Criminal Allegations
Garantex has been a primary target for global regulators for years. In 2022, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the exchange, alleging that over $100 million in transactions were linked to illicit actors, including the Hydra darknet market and the notorious Conti ransomware gang.
The pressure intensified last month when the European Union included Garantex in its 16th package of sanctions against Russia. The EU cited evidence that the exchange is “closely associated with EU-sanctioned Russian banks,” further isolating the platform from the global financial system.
Tether Freeze and Service Collapse
The seizure follows a series of internal crises for the exchange. Prior to the domain takedown, Garantex announced it was suspending all services, including cryptocurrency withdrawals. This move was triggered by stablecoin issuer Tether, which froze $28 million worth of assets held on the platform.
In a final message to its users via Telegram, the exchange acknowledged the turmoil, stating, “We have bad news. We are fighting and will not give up! Please note that all [Tether] in Russian wallets is currently under threat.”
Technical Verification of the Seizure
Domain record analysis confirms that the Garantex web address is now being redirected to servers controlled by the U.S. Secret Service. These servers are specifically dedicated to hosting seizure notices for law enforcement operations, confirming that the site is no longer under the control of its original administrators. Despite repeated attempts to reach the exchange for comment via official email and its Telegram channel, the company has remained silent regarding the enforcement action.