The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned members of the Latin American criminal cartel Trendearagua (TdA) for planting malicious code in automated teller machines (ATMs) within the United States to steal cash.
OFAC announced on the 30th (local time) that it has designated 10 individuals for sanctions, including Anibal Alexander Canelon Aguirre (also known as ‘Prometheus’), who is on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s 10 Most Wanted list.
The Rise of ATM Jackpotting
Prometheus is accused of leading ‘jackpotting’ attacks, a method where malicious code is installed on US ATMs to remotely control the machines and force them to dispense cash. The other nine individuals named in the sanctions list have been identified as his accomplices.
According to OFAC, the criminal network led by Prometheus used these jackpotting attacks to steal large sums of money. The funds were then laundered through cryptocurrency transactions and wired to TdA members operating in various countries.
Significant Financial Impact
As of August last year, more than 1,500 ATM jackpotting attacks had been reported in the United States. OFAC stated that the damages from these operations reached $40.73 million (approximately 55.2 billion KRW).
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated, ‘The Trump administration will not tolerate terrorist organizations like TdA exploiting the US financial system or accumulating wealth through theft and other crimes targeting Americans and businesses.’
In addition to this measure, OFAC also announced that it has designated Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez, a high-ranking TdA leader involved in illegal gold mining, as a target for sanctions.
