FBI Seizes $17 Billion in Operation Blackout
Kash Patel announced that approximately $17 billion has been seized from global scam networks targeting American citizens through Operation Blackout.
FBI Director Kash Patel shared the details of Operation Blackout, which targeted global scam compounds aimed at U.S. citizens, particularly the elderly. Thanks to this international initiative, approximately $17 billion in assets were seized.
Scope of the Global Operation
FBI Director Kash Patel reported that a global campaign is underway to identify, disrupt, and dismantle foreign scam compounds.
Named Operation Blackout, this initiative encompasses overseas raids, asset seizures, the disruption of communication networks, and the restitution of victims' funds.
Targeted Victims and Methods
Criminal networks use forced labor to carry out scam operations against victims thousands of miles away.
Elderly Americans, who make up the majority of the targets, are ensnared through traps set via social media, phone calls, text messages, and Telegram.
International Raids and Facilities
While crime syndicates operate massive scam centers across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Patel described these structures as towns and villages.
In an August operation at the O'Smach Resort compound in Cambodia, twenty-eight buildings were searched and numerous pieces of evidence were seized.
Operation Level Up
Efforts are ongoing within the framework of Operation Level Up, a domestic prevention component conducted in partnership with the Secret Service.
Under this scope, ten thousand four hundred six potential victims were notified, and an estimated $660 million in losses was prevented.
New Developments in Africa
In September, the Department of Justice Fraud Section Working Group helped authorities in Madagascar dismantle thirteen centers operated by Chinese organized crime syndicates.
It was noted that criminal networks have migrated to Central and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the FBI has pre-positioned itself in these regions.