Tren de Aragua members indicted in nationwide ATM jackpotting scheme
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
At least 87 individuals affiliated with the Venezuelan terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) have been charged with a massive scheme in which its members allegedly stole millions of dollars from ATMs across the country; This crime is commonly known as “ATM jackpotting.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska on Monday announced 31 new defendants, joining 56 others previously charged in a major Homeland Security Task Force operation.
The criminal ring, comprised largely of Venezuelan and Colombian citizens and TdA members, used the stolen funds to fuel its terrorist activities, including human trafficking, child sex trafficking, kidnapping, murder and “other unspeakably evil and violent acts,” according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska Lesley A. Woods.
“Tren de Aragua is a sophisticated terrorist organization that commits horrific rapes, murders and drug trafficking, as well as serious financial crimes,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. he said.
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES MULTI-STATE INDICTMENTS AGAINST TREN DE ARAGUA LEADERS FOR VIOLENT CRIMES
Prosecutors say one method used to install malware to force machines to dispense cash was an ATM with an open panel. (Ministry of Justice)
“The Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue to work tirelessly to put these brutal terrorists behind bars after the previous administration allowed them to infiltrate our country,” he added.
The indictment in January allegedly includes 32 charges, including bank fraud, bank theft, computer fraud and damaging computers.
THE CLAIM THAT THE BOSS FROM TRAIN DE ARAGUA WAS ADDED AMONG THE FBI’S MOST WANTED THOSE WAS SANCTIFIED BY THE TREASURY: ‘NO BORDERS CAN PROTECT HIM’
Surveillance footage shows a suspect holding a large sum of money allegedly stolen during an ATM “jackpot” operation bound for Tren de Aragua. (Ministry of Justice)
Members allegedly infiltrated ATMs and forced the machines to dispense cash using a variant of malware known as Ploutus, designed to erase evidence of its existence in order to conceal the crime, according to the Department of Justice.
THE USA ACCUSES THE VENEZUELAN REGIME OF NARCO-TERRORISM DUE TO ALLIANCES WITH TRAIN DE ARAGUA AND THE SINALOA CARTEL
A hooded man is seen taking photographs during the incident, which investigators say was part of an ATM fraud operation linked to Tren de Aragua. (Ministry of Justice)
Officials said members came to targeted banks and credit unions to inspect ATMs and note any external security features. The groups would then open the hood or door of the machines and wait to determine whether an alarm or law enforcement intervention had been triggered. Once clear, groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with a hard drive with Ploutus already installed, or connecting an external device such as a thumb drive to distribute the malware.
Overhead surveillance footage captures a suspect near an ATM allegedly targeted during a nationwide “bonus” scheme. (Ministry of Justice)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
The update follows two similar indictments in December and October of last year. A total of 87 people involved face a host of federal charges, including material support of a designated foreign terrorist organization, bank theft, bank fraud, money laundering, damaging and unauthorized access to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit the same crimes.
