DOJ Charges 31 More in ATM ‘Jackpotting’ Terror Scheme Tied to Venezuelan Tren de Aragua

January 26, 2026
10:56 am

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Federal prosecutors just dropped a bombshell in Nebraska: 31 more indictments tied to a massive ATM jackpotting operation, pushing the total defendants to 87. These aren't your run-of-the-mill crooks—many are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals allegedly connected to the brutal Tren de Aragua gang, a transnational terror outfit that's been making headlines for everything from human trafficking to assassinations. The scheme? Hackers use malware-laden USB sticks or insider access to reprogram ATMs, forcing them to spit out cash like broken slot machines—jackpotting in criminal slang. Prosecutors claim this nationwide heist raked in millions, funneled straight to Tren de Aragua operatives embedded in the U.S., funding their reign of violence from New York to California. Dig deeper, and this isn't just about stolen twenties; it's a stark exhibit of how open borders and lax enforcement have imported sophisticated criminal networks right into America's heartland. Tren de Aragua, born in Venezuela's hellish prisons, operates like a mafia on steroids, with tentacles in drug smuggling, extortion, and now cyber-enabled bank heists. The DOJ's piecing together a conspiracy that exploited vulnerabilities in our financial infrastructure, but the real jackpot here is the exposure of how these gangs thrive unchecked. Remember the migrant crime waves in cities like Chicago and New York? This is the cyber-financial arm, turning loose cash into arsenals and safe houses. For the 2A community, this screams urgency: as foreign terror-gangs embed and escalate from smash-and-grabs to high-tech theft funding paramilitary ops, law-abiding Americans need armed self-defense more than ever. These indictments highlight why shall-issue carry laws and constitutional carry expansions are lifelines—when DOJ is busy chasing 87 hackers instead of securing borders, who's protecting your family from the blowback? It's not hyperbole; Tren de Aragua has already left bodies in U.S. streets. Arm up, train hard, and vote for leaders who prioritize sovereignty over sanctuary. This story isn't ending with indictments—it's a call to vigilance.

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Federal prosecutors just dropped a bombshell in Nebraska: 31 more indictments tied to a massive ATM jackpotting operation, pushing the total defendants to 87. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill crooks—many are Venezuelan and Colombian nationals allegedly connected to the brutal Tren de Aragua gang, a transnational terror outfit that’s been making headlines for everything from human trafficking to assassinations. The scheme? Hackers use malware-laden USB sticks or insider access to reprogram ATMs, forcing them to spit out cash like broken slot machines—jackpotting in criminal slang. Prosecutors claim this nationwide heist raked in millions, funneled straight to Tren de Aragua operatives embedded in the U.S., funding their reign of violence from New York to California.

Dig deeper, and this isn’t just about stolen twenties; it’s a stark exhibit of how open borders and lax enforcement have imported sophisticated criminal networks right into America’s heartland. Tren de Aragua, born in Venezuela’s hellish prisons, operates like a mafia on steroids, with tentacles in drug smuggling, extortion, and now cyber-enabled bank heists. The DOJ’s piecing together a conspiracy that exploited vulnerabilities in our financial infrastructure, but the real jackpot here is the exposure of how these gangs thrive unchecked. Remember the migrant crime waves in cities like Chicago and New York? This is the cyber-financial arm, turning loose cash into arsenals and safe houses.

For the 2A community, this screams urgency: as foreign terror-gangs embed and escalate from smash-and-grabs to high-tech theft funding paramilitary ops, law-abiding Americans need armed self-defense more than ever. These indictments highlight why shall-issue carry laws and constitutional carry expansions are lifelines—when DOJ is busy chasing 87 hackers instead of securing borders, who’s protecting your family from the blowback? It’s not hyperbole; Tren de Aragua has already left bodies in U.S. streets. Arm up, train hard, and vote for leaders who prioritize sovereignty over sanctuary. This story isn’t ending with indictments—it’s a call to vigilance.

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