The Good, The Bad And The Ugly In Cybersecurity - Week 5
SentinelOne, Friday, January 30th, 2026
A U.S. federal grand jury has charged 31 defendants for their roles in an ATM jackpotting operation linked to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.
The indictment details 32 counts tied to the use of Ploutus malware to drain ATMs nationwide. After physically accessing the machines, suspects installed preloaded drives or USBs to deploy the malware, erase forensic evidence, and force cash dispensing until empty.
Prosecutors say the operation laundered millions to fund the gang, now officially designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by U.S. authorities. This action follows two previous indictments from October and December 2025, bringing the total prosecutions to 87.