The Department of Justice has announced new charges in a nationwide ATM hacking case tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, adding 31 people to an existing indictment and increasing the number of accused to 87 as authorities continue a broad investigation into organized cyber-enabled thefts.
The latest indictment adds 31 individuals to a sprawling scheme that federal prosecutors say forced ATMs to spit out cash using malicious software. Officials describe a coordinated, mobile operation that targeted banks and credit unions across multiple states and relied on both technical skill and on-the-ground scouting to pull off the robberies.
The DOJ said many of those arrested in the conspiracy were members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, a group previously labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. “This Department of Justice has already prosecuted more than 290 members of Tren de Aragua and will continue working tirelessly to put these vicious terrorists behind bars after the prior administration let them infiltrate our country,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a press release.
Prosecutors say the conspirators used a version of the Ploutus malware to override ATM controls and force machines to dispense cash on command. The operation reportedly involved teams that would case bank lobbies, test for alarms and vulnerabilities, and then install self-deleting code on the ATM’s controlling computer before making off with the money.
Investigators describe the network as both technical and physical, combining malware deployment with traditional criminal planning. Once the machines were compromised, participants divided the cash among cell members and funneled some proceeds back to the TdA organization, according to the indictment and prosecution statements.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the arrests in stark terms: “A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens,” he said. “After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes. The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.”
If convicted on the current charges, defendants could face decades behind bars, with potential combined sentences reaching as high as 335 years for the most serious offenses. Court filings describe a pattern of repeated attacks and coordination that federal prosecutors say merits heavy penalties to deter copycat groups and international criminal syndicates.
The case has implications beyond the courtroom, touching on immigration enforcement, border security, and the tools law enforcement needs to combat cross-border criminal networks. Republicans and law-and-order advocates are pointing to these prosecutions as evidence that stronger controls and more aggressive deportation policies are necessary to prevent similar groups from gaining a foothold.
Federal authorities say the investigation is ongoing and that additional arrests and charges remain possible as they trace financial flows and digital footprints tied to the scheme. Prosecutors also emphasized the role of task forces and interagency cooperation in dismantling the network and recovering evidence from machines, servers, and communications seized in the probe.
