Federal prosecutors have indicted two men, Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrez and Lester Guerrero, both 29, alleged to be linked to the Venezuelan gang Torren de Aragua (TdA). They face charges related to a conspiracy involving ATM robberies across New England.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement, noting that both individuals are in the country illegally. The charges include several robberies and attempted thefts of ATMs in states like Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. It’s claimed they used malware to trick the machines into dispensing all their cash.
There’s an ongoing federal investigation into a broader nationwide plot linked to TdA, which reportedly employs malware to steal from ATMs—a method known as ATM jackpotting. Martinez Gutierrez and Guerrero were arrested on February 5 in Augusta, Maine, while allegedly attempting to execute one of these robberies.
Martinez Gutierrez is believed to have participated in at least five such robbery attempts in New England. Some of these incidents occurred in Connecticut on December 31, Braintree, Massachusetts, on January 20, and Rochester, New Hampshire, on January 30. There were also attempts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts on January 14 and 19, respectively. Guerrero is suspected of being involved in the New Hampshire robbery as well.
Should they be found guilty of the charges, the men could face up to five years in prison and hefty fines of up to $250,000. Prosecutors have indicated that TdA has been involved in numerous criminal activities, earning substantial income by robbing financial institutions through these ATM schemes.
Documents reveal that proceeds from these ATM jackpots are typically distributed among gang members to obscure their source. The gang members are reportedly instructed to send half of these earnings to their leaders in Venezuela while the other half is allocated to those conducting the heists on the ground.
