US Treasury sanctions Tren de Aragua over $40 million ATM jackpotting scheme
The Treasury Department announced sanctions against Tren de Aragua, accusing the group of a $40-plus-million ATM jackpotting fraud that funded its terror network.
The U.S. Treasury Department launched a comprehensive operation against the foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, alleging it ran a $40-plus-million ATM “jackpotting” scheme that forced machines across the United States to dispense cash. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated ten key figures and several Mexican front companies, highlighting the role of fugitive Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre, known as “Prometheus,” who allegedly created the malware used in the attacks.
Federal data show more than 1,500 ATM incidents have caused $40.73 million in losses through August 2025, with the stolen funds washed through cryptocurrency networks to support the group’s drug trafficking, human smuggling and murder-for-hire operations. The crackdown follows a Justice Department indictment of 98 individuals tied to the conspiracy and was coordinated by the Homeland Security Task Force, FBI, HSI, FinCEN and Joint Task Force Vulcan.
Treasury officials cited executive orders from former presidents and reaffirmed the Trump administration’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025. The effort aims to cut the group’s financial lifelines and protect the integrity of the U.S. financial system.
