U.S. Helps Vietnam Arrest 7 People Allegedly Involved in One of the Largest and Most Popular Free Streaming Sites for Anime

HiAnime was one of the largest and most popular free streaming sites for anime until its sudden closure earlier this year. Now, authorities in Vietnam have arrested seven people allegedly involved in the pirate site’s operation, as reported by Torrent Freak. With a layout reminiscent of legit streaming giants like Netflix and Crunchyroll, HiAnime offered thousands of anime titles to watch for free. The site saw well over 150 million visits each month, making it a top target for anti-piracy groups. These arrests came after years of investigations into the piracy ring by organizations including U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Department of Justice, and the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE). ACE’s members include major names like Amazon, Netflix, Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures, and Paramount, to name a few. In March 2026, HiAnime posted a goodbye message in plain text across its domains before going dark. Now, Vietnamese authorities have arrested four alleged ringleaders and charged them with copyright infringement and money laundering in connection with a pirate streaming network that operated over 100 websites, including HiAnime. Three people were arre