U.S. Department of Justice secures additional indictment in Tren de Aragua-linked ATM jackpotting case, bringing total charged to 87

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an additional indictment charging 31 individuals for their alleged roles in a nationwide “ATM jackpotting” conspiracy that used malware to steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States. The new charges, brought as part of a Homeland Security Task Force operation involving Joint Task Force Vulcan, take the total number of defendants charged in the investigation to 87. The additional indictment alleges 32 counts, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers. Court documents describe the use of a Ploutus malware variant to force ATMs to dispense cash, including by installing malware via hard-drive removal or replacement or through external devices such as thumb drives, and by attempting to delete evidence to conceal deployment; proceeds were allegedly split in predetermined portions. The release notes that many defendants are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals and includes allegations involving members of Tren de Aragua, described as a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. The case follows earlier indictments returned on Dec. 9, 2025 and Oct. 21, 2025, and the department said that in the past six months it has charged 87 Tren de Aragua members and leaders with offenses including material support, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, and bank fraud. If convicted, defendants face maximum prison terms ranging from 20 to 335 years; the department emphasized that indictments are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.