Bikini-loving Venezuelan DJ among 54 charged with ATM jackpotting ploy
A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska has returned two indictments charging 54 people for their roles in a conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs — a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.”
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A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska has returned two indictments charging 54 people for their roles in a conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs — a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.”
Among those charged include a Venezuelan model, actress and DJ with reported links to the South American crime syndicate Tren de Aragua (TdA).
The indictment alleges that the TdA has used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the US and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash.
Malware in ATMs
According to a press statement issued by the US Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska, the alleged conspiracy developed and deployed a variant of malware known as Ploutus, which was used to hack into ATMs and force ATMs to dispense cash.
The conspiracy relied on the recruitment of a number of individuals to deploy Ploutus malware nationwide.
Members of the conspiracy and TdA would travel in groups, using multiple vehicles, to the locations of targeted banks and credit unions.
These groups would conduct initial reconnaissance and take note of external security features at the ATMs.
Following this reconnaissance, the groups would open the hood or door of ATMs and then wait nearby to see whether they had triggered an alarm or a law enforcement response.
The groups would then take steps to install malware on the ATMs, by removing the hard drive and installing the malware directly or by connecting an external device such as a thumb drive that would deploy the malware.
US law enforcers said that Ploutus malware’s primary purpose was to issue unauthorized commands associated with the cash dispensing module of the ATM in order to force withdrawals of currency.
The malware was also designed to delete evidence of itself in an effort to cover its tracks.
Total losses from the jackpotting incidents are said to have reached $40.73m by August 2025.
US Attorney Lesley Woods confirmed “Many millions of dollars were drained from ATM machines across the United States as a result of this conspiracy and that money is alleged to have gone to Tren de Aragua leaders to fund their terrorist activities and purposes.”
Rosita - the entertainer with links to crime
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum term of imprisonment ranging between 20 and 335 years, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office, District of Nebraska,
Among them was Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, popularly known as Rosita. who was sanctioned on 3 December by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for her links to TdA.
The influencer, who has 3 million Instagram followers, is apparently known for her love of bikinis.
OFAC’s press release alleged that Navarro reportedly helped the head of TdA, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (also known as Niño Guerrero) escape from the Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2012.
The Nebraska charges see her indicted for supporting the crime syndicate’s ATM scheme.
US war on gangs
The charges are part of an operation undertaken by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative designed, it says, “to protect the American People Against Invasion” by eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings.
In February this year the Trump administration labelled the TdA ‘a state-sponsored international terrorist organisation that has invaded the US’.
As if speaking directly to the gang itself, HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito in the District of Nebraska said in the press release:
“Tren de Aragua is not just a criminal gang; they are a ruthless terrorist organization that preys on communities, spreads fear, and bankrolls violence across borders.
“HSI and our law enforcement partners will track you down, break up your networks, and ensure you never find safe harbor in the United States.”
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