Feds target notorious terror group for massive fraud scheme

A federal grand jury indicted 31 individuals in relation to an international fraud scheme, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release on Monday.

The individuals were allegedly involved in a scheme using malware to steal millions from ATMs in the United States, in a crime referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Many of the individuals charged were “illegal alien Tren de Aragua (TdA) members,” according to the press release.

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “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.”

The DOJ has now charged “a total of 87 TdA members and leaders,” according to the press release.

Investigation into International “ATM Jackpotting” Scheme and Tren de Aragua results in Additional Indictment and 87 Total Charged Defendants

“Tren de Aragua is a complex terrorist organization that commits serious financial crimes in addition to horrific rapes, murders, and… pic.twitter.com/g15mbJ4pFw

— U.S. Department of Justice (@TheJusticeDept) January 26, 2026

The Trump administration’s State Department designated TdA, along with MS-13 and other notorious international cartels, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February 2025.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said in a statement, “This latest indictment demonstrates the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantling cartels, including when they attack our nation’s financial system with sophisticated malware.”

“The announcement of charges against a total of 87 defendants underscores both the massive scale of these alleged conspiracies and the strength and skill of our investigators and prosecutors who dismantle them,” he continued. “As cartels level up their criminal game, so will we.”

Cooper Smith, the director of Homeland Security and Immigration at the America First Policy Institute, said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation, “Cases like this expose the fantasy behind calls to ‘reimagine’ or dismantle ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement].”

“ICE doesn’t just do immigration enforcement—their Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit investigates transnational criminals and holds them accountable,” Smith continued. “ICE is law enforcement in the truest sense of the word, and undermining it only makes communities less safe and emboldens those who seek to harm Americans.”

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