- John Daghita was arrested in Saint Martin over the alleged $46M crypto theft case.
- The FBI and French National Gendarmerie carried out the joint international operation.
- Blockchain investigator ZachXBT traced the stolen funds to the U.S. Marshals seizure wallets.
Authorities have arrested a suspect accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from wallets linked to the United States Marshals Service. According to a statement from Kash Patel, John Daghita was arrested on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in a joint operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and French law enforcement.
The operation was carried out with the assistance of the French National Gendarmerie, including its elite tactical unit from Guadeloupe. Officials said the arrest followed months of international coordination between U.S. investigators and French authorities.
Investigation Began With On-Chain Tracing
The case first made headlines earlier this year when blockchain investigator ZachXBT reported that millions of dollars in seized cryptocurrency had been moved from wallets associated with the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to ZachXBT, the funds were traced on-chain in January 2026 and linked to addresses believed to hold assets confiscated by U.S. authorities.
After the findings were reported to law enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service opened a formal investigation into the movements of the seized funds.
ZachXBT later said the suspect repeatedly taunted him on Telegram after the investigation was made public, even sending small transactions, known as “dusting attacks,” to the investigator’s public wallet address.
Contractor Access Raises Questions
Prosecutors allege that Daghita obtained access to the digital assets through CMDSS, an IT company run by his father that held a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service.
The company had reportedly been hired to assist the agency in managing and disposing of cryptocurrency seized during federal investigations.
Authorities have not yet explained exactly how Daghita obtained access to the wallets used to store those assets. However, investigators believe the breach may have involved misuse of internal access privileges tied to the government contract.
Extradition Expected
Daghita now faces federal charges related to the alleged theft, and U.S. authorities are expected to seek his extradition from the French jurisdiction of Saint Martin. The case has also sparked wider debate about how law enforcement agencies safeguard seized digital assets.
The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for holding and managing cryptocurrency confiscated during criminal investigations, often storing billions of dollars in digital assets tied to major enforcement cases.
Related: Coinbase Helps U.S. Marshals Sell Seized Bitcoin
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