DarkBlue Intelligence Suite / 2025 Dark Web Threat Summit Recap

June 19, 2025

2025 Dark Web Threat Intelligence Summit Recap: A Gathering of Experts Advancing OSINT

In May 2025, CACI's DarkBlue Intelligence Group, in partnership with AWS, hosted the first annual Dark Web Threat Intelligence Summit. This event brought together more than 100 professionals across U.S. federal agencies, state and local law enforcement, commercial banks, defense and intelligence communities, and investigative firms. The sold-out event was a full day of expert talks, panels, and hands-on dark web OSINT training—focusing on the most urgent threats in the hidden corners of the internet and how to counter them.

This inaugural summit highlighted the expanding role of open-source intelligence (OSINT) in tackling national security challenges, from fentanyl trafficking to financial crime, human trafficking, and the abuse of emerging technologies. If you work in compliance, cyber threat intelligence, fraud prevention, counterterrorism, or law enforcement, this was the place to be!

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Welcome: Meisha Lutsey, CACI EVP of Mission & Engineering Support

Meisha Lutsey kicked off the day with a warm welcome on behalf of CACI, which leads the development of the DarkBlue Intelligence Suite. She emphasized the importance of collaboration between government and industry in solving complex intelligence challenges—especially those rooted in hard-to-access data like the dark web.

Figure 1: Welcome from Meisha Lutsey

Keynote: The Impact of Recent Government Investment in Open-Source Intelligence

Dennis Eger, Senior Open Source Intelligence Advisor, U.S. Army

Figure 2: Keynote from Mr. Dennis Eger

Mr. Eger set the tone with a keynote on how recent federal investment in OSINT is transforming the intelligence landscape. Using the “information iceberg” analogy, he illustrated how the dark web forms a critical (but often unseen) component of today’s data ecosystem. He also addressed the legal and ethical boundaries of OSINT, including civil liberties and responsible data use.

The State of the Dark Web in 2025

Cory Everington, Head of CACI's DarkBlue Intelligence Group

Figure 3: State of the Dark Web with Cory Everington

In this data-driven overview, Cory shared insights into the latest dark web trends—from ransomware-as-a-service offerings to criminal migration patterns—and what to expect in the year ahead. She outlined how the DarkBlue Intelligence Suite enables safer, faster investigations for intelligence teams working in sensitive spaces.

Panel: Fentanyl, Cartels, and the Dark Web—How Traffickers Exploit Borders and Technology

Moderated by Cory Everington 
Michael Prado, Deputy Assistant Director, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Cyber Crimes Center (C3)
Michael J. Maxwell, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office of Investigative Technology

Figure 4: Fentanyl panel with Cory Everington, Mike Prado, and Michael Maxwell

With fentanyl overdoses and cartel violence on the rise, this panel unpacked how trafficking organizations use the dark web and cryptocurrency to move drugs, weapons, and equipment across borders. The panelists highlighted how new policy designations and enforcement mandates are changing the game for federal agencies.

Tactical Use Cases: Exploiting Dark Web Data to Unmask Threat Actors

Wade Douthit, Director of Collection, DarkBlue Intelligence Group 
Eliot Smith, Senior OSINT & Dark Web Analyst, DarkBlue Intelligence Group
Dustin Rekunyk, Head of Threat Intelligence, Aylo

Figure 5: Tactical use case from Wade Douthit

In three rapid-fire talks, investigators shared how they’re using the DarkBlue Intelligence Suite to disrupt real-world criminal activity:

• Wade discussed fake passports and other documents sold for illegal border crossings.
• Eliot showed how he helped deanonymize a ransomware group selling hacking tools.
• Dustin described his work removing Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) viewers from his platform and mitigating threats to company executives.

The Escalation Effect: Why AI is Critical for Advancing OSINT and Combating Trafficking

Brian Drake, Federal Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Accrete AI Government

Figure 6: AI discussion with Brian Drake

Brian Drake explored the interplay between AI, dark web intelligence, and human/fentanyl trafficking. A former Director of AI at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), he made a compelling case for why OSINT teams must adopt AI to keep pace with adversaries leveraging automation, anonymization, and decentralized finance.

Panel: Dark Web, Digital Currency, and Due Diligence—The Future of Financial Crime Prevention

Moderated by Wade Douthit 
Kristopher Klaich, Policy Director, The Digital Chamber 
James Lanham, Instructor, Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security

Figure 7: Financial crime panel with Kristopher Klaich, James Lanham, and Wade Douthit

This panel focused on dark web-fueled financial crime, and how digital currency complicates anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) due diligence efforts. The discussion emphasized the need for proactive monitoring, OSINT-driven alerts, and increased collaboration between financial institutions and investigators.

Training: Introduction to Dark Web OSINT Investigations

Tim Farmer, Lead Trainer, DarkBlue Intelligence Group

The day concluded with a hands-on training session led by Tim Farmer, a U.S. Army-trained OSINT instructor. Attendees practiced safe dark web investigation workflows and walked through real-world case studies inside the DarkBlue Intelligence Suite.

Looking Ahead

We’re grateful to everyone who attended this powerful first summit. Whether you're in federal law enforcement (DHS, DEA, NSA, USSS, DoD, IRS-CI), state or local task forces targeting drugs or human trafficking, banking and compliance teams protecting against money laundering, or private-sector investigators safeguarding executives—there’s no substitute for training, connection, and intelligence sharing.

Figure 8: The DarkBlue team with AWS partners at the Summit

Together, we’re advancing the mission to illuminate the darkest corners of the internet—and stop those who exploit them.

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