02/24/2026
Operation Meltdown Shuts Down Hundreds of Illegal Online Pharmacies
DEA AgentsOn February 4, 2026, DEA announced the seizure of more than 200 website domains tied to an India-based transnational criminal organization working within the United States and allegedly responsible for at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses.
DEA arrested four individuals, issued five Immediate Suspension Orders, as well as one Order to Show Cause, both of which are administrative actions taken against DEA registrants to protect the public from dangers to public health or safety. The U.S. government shut down more than 200 online pharmacies accused of filling hundreds of thousands of orders of diverted pharmaceuticals and counterfeit pills without valid prescriptions. Read more.
“This case demonstrates how foreign-based traffickers exploit our healthcare system, hide behind the internet, and use people inside the United States to move dangerous drugs under the guise of legitimate commerce,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “Illegal online pharmacies put poison in American communities. They sell counterfeit and unapproved pills and do not care who gets hurt or who dies. Actions like this save lives. They protect the American people. If you run these sites, supply them, move the money, ship the product, or help them operate, we will find you, we will dismantle your operations, and we will hold you fully accountable under U.S. law.”
https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2026/02/04/dea-operation-meltdown-shuts-down-hundreds-illegal-online-pharmacies
