FBI has seized Deep Dot Web and arrested its administrators
techcrunch.com
techcrunch.com
The referral link stuff is maybe gray area, but you can not see who bought what and for how much from your referral link.
But maybe the website owner(s) had some illegal side business going on dark net markets, and FBI just took deepdotweb down with everything else connected to the owners.
It’s probably reasonable to guess they took money from the illegal markets. (by referral)
Linking is not illegal AFAIK
18USC1956(a)(3): Whoever, with the intent to promote the carrying on of specified unlawful activity; or to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of property believed to be the proceeds of specified unlawful activity; […] conducts or attempts to conduct a financial transaction involving property represented to be the proceeds of specified unlawful activity, or property used to conduct or facilitate specified unlawful activity, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.
18USC1956(h): Any person who conspires to commit any offense defined in this section [vide supra] or section 1957 shall be subject to the same penalties as those prescribed for the offense the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.