A group of American democratic legislators, led by senator Elizabeth Warren, has greatly criticized the Ministry of Justice (DOJ) for closing its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET).
In a letter of 10 April, the group expressed his concern that the movement undermines the efforts to combat the growing criminal activities linked to digital assets.
The NCET, dissolved on April 7, was established to focus on criminal activities in the digital assets sector. It brought specialists from Doj divisions together focused on cyber crime and money laundering.
The unit led controversial performances, including actions against Tornado-Contant Money and cyber criminals connected to North Korea.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the decision enables the DOJ to kill his focus on individual perpetrators instead of treating the entire crypto industry as a threat. He emphasized that the agency is not a financial supervisor and wants to avoid brush enforcement tactics.
New guidance from the Doj is reportedly encourages less control over crypto exchanges, portfolios and mixers unless directly linked to criminal behavior. According to Blanche, the aim is to give priority to targeted persecutions instead of the radical research.
American legislators Slam Doj decision
Despite these statements, the laws claim that dismantling the NCET is serious risks.
According to them, the Task Force played a crucial role in helping the local and national authorities, many of whom miss the resources or expertise to tackle complex crypto doses.
They warn that without federal support, enforcement against threats such as sanctions discharge, drug trafficking and online scam can weaken considerably.
According to the legislators:
“These are serious mistakes that will support the evasion of sanctions, drug trafficking, scams and sexual exploitation of children.”
The letter also emphasized FBI data that shows that crypto fraud increased to $ 5.6 billion in 2023 -a jump of 45% compared to the previous year.
The legislators argued that this reinforces the need for a specialized federal unit to keep bad actors responsible, including crypto ATM operators and other enablers of illegal finances.
The letter called on the DOJ to reverse its decision and labeling a miserable shift that undermines crime prevention. The legislators also asked for 1 May 2025 to explain a detailed personnel briefing to explain the reason behind the change.
They further wondered whether political considerations, in particular the known involvement of President Donald Trump in various crypto projects, played a role in the Doj’s decision.
The legislators concluded:
“Why would you dismantle a team that is such an important player in combating cryptocurrency-based crime? You give decisions to concern that President Trump’s interest in selling his
Cryptocurrency can be the reason for alleviating the investigation of law enforcement. “