DOJ details $560K in Hamas-linked crypto seizures and site takedowns

On September 1, 2026, the US Department of Justice announced that court-authorized seizures had captured more than $560,000 in cryptocurrency intended to support Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades. The FBI also took control of domains and servers that the department says were used for fundraising and recruitment. The announcement describes operations carried out over time, not a single seizure on September 1.

What the new announcement covers

According to the Justice Department, three cryptocurrency seizure warrants were executed on March 25, June 25, and October 10, 2025. Investigators say a group chat claiming a connection to Hamas directed supporters to a website and rotating donation addresses. The FBI’s Albuquerque field office later seized internet infrastructure associated with the group’s website. The department says that control allowed investigators to intercept further donations and identify people who contacted the site. Its investigation is continuing.

Earlier cryptocurrency cases

In a separate March 2025 announcement, the Justice Department reported seizing approximately $201,400 in cryptocurrency from wallets and accounts intended to benefit Hamas. It said the fundraising addresses had moved more than $1.5 million in virtual currency since October 2024. The $201,400 seizure is part of the earlier enforcement history, not an additional amount to add to the September 2026 total.

A July 2025 civil forfeiture action concerned about $2 million in digital currency connected to the Gaza-based business Buy Cash Money and Money Transfer Company. The complaint alleged that users funded exchange accounts and unhosted wallets containing USDT, and that one account received at least $4 million intended for Hamas. The government said funds targeted in that action had previously been seized through Tether and Binance. Those claims are allegations in a separate civil case; the complaint itself does not establish a final forfeiture judgment.

Why the distinction matters

The September 2026 release does not identify USDT as the token used in every seizure. Tether’s stated assistance belongs to the July 2025 Buy Cash case. Keeping the operations and their amounts separate shows what investigators have documented without treating all the cited cryptocurrency activity as one transaction.