A group of Democratic senators, spearheaded by Senator Elizabeth Warren, is demanding answers after the Department of Justice quietly shut down its crypto enforcement arm. In a letter dated April 10 and addressed to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators blasted the DOJ’s decision to dismantle the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET), calling it a dangerous retreat that could embolden criminals and foreign adversaries. “The decision to shutter this team is a grave mistake,” the senators wrote, warning that the move could allow “sanctions evasion, drug trafficking, scams, and child sexual exploitation” to flourish unchecked in the digital asset space. Warren was joined by Senators Richard Durbin, Mazie Hirono, Sheldon Whitehouse, Christopher Coons, and Richard Blumenthal. Blanche, in a memo dated April 7, had stated that the DOJ “is not a digital assets regulator,” signaling the department’s intent to scale back crypto-specific prosecutions. But the senators argue this step signals weakness at a time when blockchain-enabled crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and borderless. Mixing Services and Legal Blind Spots The lawmakers voiced concern that crypto mixing services — platforms that anonymize blockchain transactions — remain largely unchecked, becoming “go-to tools for cybercriminals.” They claimed the DOJ’s sudden shift essentially gives a “free pass to cryptocurrency money launderers.” Perhaps more concerning, the senators said, was the DOJ’s apparent decision not to pursue prosecution in a number of cases involving violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and other financial crimes tied to digital assets. Such inaction, they argued, creates “systemic vulnerabilities” ripe for exploitation by bad actors. The letter demands a full staff-level briefing before May 1 to explain the rationale behind the DOJ’s pivot, and questions whether political motivations may be at play. Trump Family Crypto Ventures Beyond law enforcement concerns, the senators raised eyebrows at what they suggest may be a conflict of interest: the Trump family’s increasing ties to crypto ventures . President Donald Trump and his sons are backing initiatives such as World Liberty Financial — a platform developing a stablecoin — and American Bitcoin, a new mining operation. The senators hint at a potential link between the DOJ’s softened stance and these political investments. “Your decisions give rise to concerns that President Trump’s interest in selling his cryptocurrency may be the reason for easing law enforcement scrutiny,” the letter stated. While the DOJ has yet to formally respond, the tension underscores the deep political divide over how the U.S. should navigate its future in crypto. The post Senate Democrats Slam DOJ’s Crypto Retreat, a National Security Fallout? appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
