Tether Aids $225M Seizure in US Secret Service’s Largest Crypto Bust Ever
The U.S. Secret Service shattered records with a $225 million crypto seizure, spotlighting Tether’s role in dismantling global digital asset scams at scale. United States Secret Service Achieves Biggest $225M Crypto Bust With Tether’s Support. Digital asset firm Tether announced on June 18 that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has acknowledged its cooperation in a significant enforcement operation involving the seizure of roughly $225 million in USDT. The funds were tied to a large-scale ‘pig butchering’ scam scheme that targeted victims across multiple jurisdictions. The recognition highlights Tether’s growing role in combating illegal activity within the digital asset space. In its ongoing efforts to set industry standards in transparency, compliance, and crime prevention, Tether stated: To date, Tether has frozen and blocked over $2.7 billion in USDT linked to illegal activity, leveraging real-time tracking, advanced analytics, and direct collaboration with over 255 law enforcement agencies across more than 55 countries. The company’s partnership with the DOJ in this case involved identifying and facilitating the seizure of assets derived from the pig butchering scheme. Tether highlighted: ‘Working closely with the DOJ, Tether facilitated the seizure of assets identified as proceeds of pig butchering fraud.’ CEO Paolo Ardoino stated: ‘Tether’s collaboration with the Department of Justice underscores our commitment to transparency, proactive engagement with law enforcement, and the protection of users across the digital asset ecosystem. We are setting the standard for compliance in digital assets and leading efforts to ensure stablecoins are not misused by bad actors.’ Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office mentioned: This seizure of $225.3 million in funds linked to cryptocurrency investment fraud marks the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service (USSS) history. This latest seizure is one of several enforcement actions supported by Tether recently. In March 2025, Tether assisted the U.S. Secret Service in freezing $23 million in USDT linked to the sanctioned exchange Garantex. Additionally, it collaborated with Tron, TRM Labs, and Spanish authorities to freeze over $100 million in illicit funds. In 2024, the company aided the Ontario Provincial Police in recovering stolen digital assets and helped the DOJ in freezing over $6 million associated with a Southeast Asia-based criminal network and other fraud schemes.
