A federal grand jury in Nebraska has indicted 87 individuals in connection with a sprawling ATM “jackpotting” conspiracy tied to the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Prosecutors say the network siphoned millions of dollars from ATMs across the United States to fund the gang’s broader criminal enterprise.
The latest indictment, returned Monday, adds 31 defendants to earlier charges and includes 32 counts, encompassing conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank burglary, and related computer crimes.
According to federal filings, the group allegedly used sophisticated malware, including variants of the notorious Ploutus family, to manipulate ATM systems, forcing machines to dispense cash without authorization.
In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi called TdA “a complex terrorist organization” responsible for financial crimes, human trafficking, and violent offenses, and vowed that the DOJ would continue dismantling the gang’s operations in the United States.
She highlighted the nationwide reach of the conspiracy and praised the coordinated efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement in dismantling the operation.
Court filings allege that the conspirators deployed Ploutus malware to manipulate ATMs and share stolen funds among themselves, helping finance TdA’s broader network of criminal activity, including kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder.
U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods emphasized that the jackpotting operation was part of a broader pattern of violent and illicit activity.
“The accused used this scheme to create a financial pipeline for the organization,” Woods said, calling the indictments a critical step in shutting down the gang’s ability to “terrorize American communities.”
This latest action builds on prior indictments in late 2025, which charged 32 and 22 individuals, respectively, with offenses ranging from conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists to money laundering and computer fraud—all connected to TdA’s ATM cybercrimes.
If convicted, defendants now face sentences ranging from 20 to 335 years.
TdA, which began as a Venezuelan prison gang, has grown into a transnational criminal organization operating across the Americas.
Authorities describe TdA as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization responsible for kidnapping, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and human trafficking, including the exploitation of children.
Experts note that the gang’s use of ATM jackpotting represents a sophisticated approach to financing terror and organized crime within the United States.
Federal law enforcement agencies caution that older ATM models with outdated software remain vulnerable to Ploutus and similar malware attacks.
The investigation is led by the FBI Omaha Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha, with assistance from a broad coalition of federal and local law enforcement partners, reflecting a coordinated national effort to disrupt transnational criminal organizations and cyber-enabled financial crime.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stressed the ongoing commitment to dismantling TdA.
“Joint Task Force Vulcan will continue using all available tools to eradicate TdA and other groups that exploit U.S. infrastructure to finance terror and crime,” he said.
The indictments underscore the growing threat of cybercrime linked to organized criminal groups and the DOJ’s focus on prosecuting networks that use sophisticated technological methods to fund violent criminal enterprises.
