The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on Wednesday on 10 targets tied to a Tren de Aragua financial network accused of stealing millions of dollars from American banks through an ATM “jackpotting” scheme.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the operation is led by Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, known as “Prometheus,” one of the FBI’s 10 most-wanted fugitives. OFAC also designated Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, known as “Juancho,” described as a senior Tren de Aragua leader directing operations in several South American countries, including gold mining, narcotics exporting, and violent crime.
Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela, was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State on February 20, 2025. The Treasury previously sanctioned the group as a Transnational Criminal Organization in July 2024, according to the announcement released by the department.
“President Trump’s administration will not allow terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua to exploit the U.S. financial system or enrich themselves through theft and other criminal activity targeting American individuals and businesses,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use all tools available to deny these terrorist financial facilitators the resources they need to operate, weakening their overall criminal enterprise and protecting the integrity of the U.S. economy.”
The Jackpotting Scheme
OFAC said Prometheus runs the network from Mexico and Venezuela while targeting automated teller machines inside the United States. In a jackpotting attack, criminals install malware on ATMs or interactive teller machines, remotely bypass security systems, and issue a command that forces the machines to dispense cash without debiting any account.
Prometheus is alleged to have engineered the malware used in the attacks and has been photographed with proceeds of the crimes, the Treasury said. Stolen funds are moved among Tren de Aragua members and associates, in part through cryptocurrency transactions used to launder the money.
As of August 2025, reported losses from alleged ATM jackpotting attacks in the United States totaled $40.73 million across more than 1,500 incidents, according to the Treasury.
Indictments and Designations
Since October 21, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted 98 individuals in connection with ATM jackpotting schemes. Charges include material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, bank burglary, bank fraud, money laundering, and unauthorized access to protected computers. If convicted, defendants face maximum penalties ranging from 20 to 335 years in prison.
Prometheus and associates Carlos Javier Martinez Armenta, Alejandro Mejia Castillo, Jose Dario Galeano Bazurto, Eric Gabriel Cardenas Arzola, Oscar Leonardo Martinez Pirona, Anthony Wuiliam Hernandez Guerrero, and Aslhy Javier Galeano Basurto were all indicted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska. OFAC said Martinez Armenta has transacted directly with Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, the now-deceased head of Tren de Aragua.
Aslhy Javier Galeano Basurto was previously detained in the United States in 2017 on suspicion of manipulating ATMs and was found at the time with drugs and backpacks containing a large amount of cash, according to the Treasury.
OFAC also designated two Mexico-based companies: Enigma Community, S. de R.L. de C.V., owned by Martinez Pirona, and Soluciones Integrales Toluca, S.A. de C.V., owned by Mejia Castillo.
Juancho was indicted in December 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on charges of conspiring to provide and providing material support to Tren de Aragua.
The Treasury said the action is part of a coordinated effort involving the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska. Since 2025, the government has taken more than 30 actions against over 300 individuals and entities linked to transnational criminal organizations, according to OFAC.
As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals and entities within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from transactions involving them.
Provided by Dallas Express
