The US Department of Justice has announced that authorities have seized more than 1,000 internet domains belonging to websites accused of illegally broadcasting World Cup matches.

This special enforcement operation, codenamed "Operation Offside," was spearheaded by the Washington, D.C. field office of Homeland Security Investigations. The action was carried out in three phases, targeting the lengthy tournament period of over a month, which was primarily hosted in the United States.

Homeland Security Investigations is a core investigative arm of the US Department of Homeland Security, with a mandate covering cases involving counterfeit goods, human trafficking, and various forms of transnational crime.