Charges Filed Against Venezuelan Organization for ATM Thefts

At least 87 individuals linked to the Venezuelan terrorist group, Torren de Aragua (TdA), have been charged in connection with a large-scale operation involving the theft of millions from ATMs throughout the United States. This kind of theft is often referred to as the “ATM Jackpot.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska revealed on Monday that 31 new defendants have been added to the 56 already indicted as part of a significant operation conducted by the Homeland Security Task Force.

Leslie A. Woods, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, stated that this criminal group, primarily composed of Venezuelans and Colombians, used the stolen money to support various terrorist activities, which include human trafficking, child sex trafficking, kidnapping, and murder. It’s, well, really quite disturbing.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi commented, “Tren de Aragua is a complex organization that engages in horrific acts of violence, including rape and drug trafficking, as well as various serious financial crimes.”

The Department of Justice has now indicted over 290 members of Torren de Aragua and remains committed to holding these terrorists accountable, emphasizing that the previous administration had permitted their infiltration into the country.

The indictment from January outlines 32 different charges, which encompass bank fraud, robbery, computer fraud, and damage to computer systems.

Authorities believe that group members hacked into ATMs, deploying malware called Ploutus, which was specifically crafted to erase evidence of their actions and help in executing their thefts.

According to officials, the suspects scouted banks and credit unions, assessing ATM security before manipulating the machines. They opened the device, monitoring for alarms or law enforcement responses. Once assured it was clear, the group proceeded to install the malware either by replacing hard drives or using external devices like thumb drives to inject the software.

This recent indictment follows two similar cases from December and October of the previous year. Overall, 87 charged individuals are facing a range of federal offenses, which include providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, bank robbery, bank fraud, money laundering, and unauthorized access to protected computers.