The U.S. Department of Justice seeks slashing of 15.1 million USDT stolen by North Korean hackers.

On November 16, according to TheBlock, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed two civil forfeiture complaints on Friday, seeking to slashing $15.1 million USDT stolen by North Korean hackers in 2023. The seized crypto assets are traceable to the North Korean military hacker group “Advanced Persistent Threat 38” (APT38), which conducted thefts against four overseas virtual money platforms in 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized the funds in March 2025 and is currently seeking court approval to forfeit these assets to return to the victims. Efforts to track, seize, and recover the stolen virtual money continue, as APT38 members continue to launder funds through various virtual money bridges, mixers, trading platforms, and OTC traders. The DOJ also announced on Friday that it has secured guilty pleas from four U.S. citizens and one Ukrainian national, who admitted to helping North Korean IT workers fraudulently obtain employment at U.S. companies by providing stolen identities and hosting company laptops in their homes, creating the false impression that these workers were located in the U.S.