The Department of Justice has filed charges against 31 people in connection with a massive scam to steal millions of dollars from ATMs across the country. Officials said the latest indictments are part of a larger cash in which prosecutors previously charged 50 people in connection with the scam.
Many of those charged are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
The Justice Department said that the scammers used a malware program called malware known as Ploutus to force the ATMs to dispense cash. The indictment included photos of suspects ripping off the ATMs and walking away with thousands of dollars in cash.
Prosecutors said the group was sophisticated and worked in teams to surveil the area and ensure that the police were not alerted to their actions before deploying the malware program on the ATMs.
“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. After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “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.”
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