Treasury Sanctions Head of Online Darknet Marketplace Tied to Fentanyl Sales

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken action against Behrouz Parsarad, the sole administrator of Nemesis, an online darknet marketplace that was shut down in 2024 as part of a joint international law enforcement operation.

Nemesis, which operated on the darknet, a encrypted network within the Internet that can only be accessed with special anonymity-enhancing browsers, became notorious for its role in facilitating the sale of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, as well as false identification documents and professional hacking services. The marketplace had over 30,000 active users and 1,000 vendors, generating nearly $30 million worth of illicit transactions between 2021 and 2024.

"As the administrator of Nemesis, Parsarad sought to build—and continues to try to re-establish—a safe haven to facilitate the production, sale, and shipment of illegal narcotics like fentanyl and other synthetic opioids," said Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. "Treasury, in partnership with U.S. law enforcement, will use all available tools to dismantle these darknet marketplaces and hold accountable the individuals who oversee them."

The sanctions designation is OFAC's first action as a member of the FBI-led interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) Team. This move underscores the United States' commitment to combating all means of supplying narcotics to the United States.

Treasury remains focused on the risks posed by darknet marketplaces, as highlighted in previous designations of Genesis Market on April 5, 2023, and of Hydra Market on April 5, 2022. According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's (FinCEN) supplemental advisory published on June 20, 2024, criminal organizations use darknet marketplaces to sell precursor chemicals and manufacturing equipment used for the synthesis of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, as well as to traffic fentanyl and other narcotics into the United States.

Nemesis was established in 2021 and operated as a criminal marketplace on the darknet. Drug traffickers active on Nemesis sold fentanyl around the world, both on its own and surreptitiously laced into other drugs. In addition to offering narcotics for sale, Nemesis facilitated the sale of a wide variety of other goods and services such as false identification documents and professional hacking services that enabled buyers to hire hackers to illegally seize control of the online accounts and communications of selected victims.

Behrouz Parsarad, the individual designated today, is prohibited from engaging in any transaction or activity with the United States or any U.S. person, including making any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Violations of OFAC regulations may result in civil or criminal penalties. OFAC's Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC's enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.