2026-01-31 06:00
publication
2026-01-31 06:00
At least 87 people associated with the Venezuelan terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) have been charged in connection with massive financial fraud in the US. As reported by Fox News, the criminals used a method known as “ATM jackpotting”, thanks to which they stole millions of dollars.
The “jackpotting” mechanism involves physically taking control of an ATM. Criminals open the machine's casing to install malware that forces the device to dispense cash uncontrollably.
In this particular case, the gang used a virus called Ploutus. It is a highly advanced malware tool that allows you to remotely control the withdrawal module. What is most important from the perpetrators' point of view, it has the function of automatically obliterating traces of their presence in the banking system. This significantly complicates subsequent investigations.
The federal prosecutor's office for the District of Nebraska has expanded the indictment to include another 31 people. They joined 56 people previously detained as part of a large-scale operation by the Special Task Force on Internal Security.
According to investigators' findings, a group composed mainly of Venezuelan and Colombian nationals used stolen money to finance brutal terrorist activities, including human trafficking, kidnappings and murders.
– Tren de Aragua is an extensive terrorist organization that commits both serious financial crimes and terrible acts of violence: rape, murder and drug trafficking. The Department of Justice has charged more than 290 members of this group and will continue to work tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars, said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The indictment includes numerous charges, including bank fraud, money laundering and material support for a foreign terrorist organization. The Ministry of Justice warns that TdA is currently one of the fastest growing transnational criminal groups operating in the US.
Andrzej Dobrowolski from New York (PAP)
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