Authorities have charged 87 individuals allegedly linked to the Venezuelan terrorist group Tren de Aragua (TdA) in connection with a nationwide ATM theft operation known as “ATM jackpotting,” where millions of dollars were reportedly stolen.

On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska revealed that 31 new defendants have been added to an ongoing Homeland Security Task Force investigation, which had already charged 56 suspects.

This criminal network, primarily consisting of nationals from Venezuela and Colombia, as well as members of TdA, reportedly used the stolen money to support various terrorist activities. These activities allegedly include human trafficking, child sex trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and other violent crimes, according to U.S. Attorney Lesley A. Woods.

“Tren de Aragua is a sophisticated terrorist organization involved in severe financial crimes and heinous acts such as rape, murder, and drug trafficking,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement.

Officials have released images of an ATM with its panel open, illustrating how malware was allegedly installed to manipulate the machines into dispensing cash. (Department of Justice)

“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,” she added.

January’s indictment alleges 32 counts involving bank fraud, bank burglary, computer fraud and damage to computers.

Surveillance image shows a suspect holding large amounts of cash allegedly stolen during an ATM “jackpotting” operation tied to Tren de Aragua. (Department of Justice)

According to the Justice Department, members allegedly hacked into ATMs and forced machines to dispense cash by deploying a malware variant known as Ploutus, which was designed to delete evidence of its presence in an effort to conceal the crime.

A hooded individual is seen taking a photo during what investigators say was part of an ATM fraud operation linked to Tren de Aragua. (Department of Justice)

Officials said members arrived at targeted banks and credit unions to scout ATMs and note any external security features. The groups would then open the hood or door of the machines and wait to determine whether an alarm or a law enforcement response had been triggered. Once clear, the groups installed malware by removing the hard drive and installing the software directly, replacing the hard drive with one preloaded with Ploutus, or connecting an external device, such as a thumb drive, to deploy the malware.

Overhead surveillance footage captures a suspect near an ATM allegedly targeted during a nationwide “jackpotting” scheme. (Department of Justice)

The update follows two similar indictments last year in December and October. The total 87 individuals involved face a range of federal offenses, including material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, bank fraud, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.