The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational cybercrime.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI of the United States has arrested nine suspects in Nigeria in connection with transnational cybercrime.
The suspects allegedly stole billions of dollars from Americans, FBI Director, Kash Patel, stated in an X post.
This is even as new preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimisation Survey (NCVS) show a slide in the rate of violent crime in 2025.
The US Mission in Nigeria, says the transnational crime operation, code-named Operation Blackout, is taking the fight directly to international cybercriminal networks.Nigerian Politics Coverage.
According to Patel, the Nigeria operation delivered nine arrests, seizure of 53 electronic devices and identification of $11 million in potentially freezable funds across multiple countries.
“Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans,” Patel said.
“These scam centers exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. They’re wrong,” he stated.
“Thanks to Nigerian law enforcement and our partners in London for their outstanding cooperation,” Patel said, warning: “To the criminals targeting Americans from overseas: Justice will fibd you.”
While the FBI did not name the Nigerian agency involved or the locations of the arrests, the operation is part of a wider international enforcement exercise coordinated from London.
According to the US Department of Justice, the broader crackdown on transnational crime resulted in 28 arrests across Nigeria and Ghana and the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices.
The operation also involved Meta and 14 other technology companies, leading to the removal of more than 3.7 million fraudulent accounts, pages and groups linked to West African scam networks.
Meanwhile the preliminary estimates from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimisation Survey (NCVS) show that the rate of violent crime, property victimization, burglary or trespassing, motor vehicle theft, and other types of household theft fell significantly in 2025.
According to the US Department of Justice, quoting Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, “This report is proof that President Trump’s ‘Make America Safe Again’ agenda is working”.
“Under President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, the safety of law-abiding Americans will always come first. This success reinforces our commitment to ensuring every American can live, work, and raise a family without fear.”
According to the survey, the rate of non-fatal violent crime excluding simple assault declined 25% from 9.9 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older in 2024 to 7.4 per 1,000 in 2025.
Violent crime excluding simple assault, also known as serious violent victimization, includes the crimes of rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. The rate of aggravated assault also declined 31% from 2024 (4.5 per 1,000 persons age 12 or older) to 2025 (3.1 per 1,000).
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