DOJ charges 31, including alleged Tren de Aragua members, in ATM malware case
Alleged scammers charged with planting a malware in ATM’s around the country. (DOJ)
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department announced Monday it has charged 31 more individuals in a scheme that allegedly stole millions from ATMs in the United States.
Many of those charged are allegedly members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to the Justice Department. More than 50 people have been charged in the case so far.
Court documents filed in Nebraska allege that members of the group scammed ATMs by deploying a malware known as Ploutus. Members of the conspiracy allegedly recruited members of Tren de Arauga to deploy the malware in ATMs around the country.
Groups would first see if there was a law enforcement response when an ATM was tampered with and then deploy the malware through a thumb drive in a scheme that federal authorities call “jackpotting,” according to the Justice Department.
The malware would issue unauthorized commands to the system and force withdrawals of cash, according to the Justice Department.
“A large ring of criminal aliens allegedly engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to enrich themselves and the TdA terrorist organization by ripping off American citizens. After committing bank robbery, fraud, and other serious crimes, they will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable for their crimes,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “The Justice Department’s Joint Task Force Vulcan will not stop until it completely dismantles and destroys TdA and other foreign terrorists that import chaos to America.”
The case was made by the Homeland Security Task Force in coordination with state and local authorities around the country.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., appears on ABC News’ “This Week” on April 12, 2026. (ABC News)
(WASHINGTON) — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Sunday he was not surprised that peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled over the weekend, and that securing U.S. goals in Iran could be a “long-term project.”
“I’m not surprised at all,” Johnson told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz. “The ayatollahs, even though they have been so degraded in terms of their capabilities, nobody thought this would be easy. They’ve been preparing for this for 47 years.”
Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad ended over the weekend after Vice President JD Vance said Iran would not agree not to seek a nuclear weapon, a key sticking point for President Donald Trump and his administration.
But just before the peace efforts failed, Trump told reporters that he did not care if the U.S. made a deal with Iran, saying that the U.S. would win either way. But as the fate of the war remained uncertain Sunday, Johnson said that the job was not finished in Iran.
“We will not have won until we have completely defanged the Iranian regime,” Johnson said. “There’s multiple ways of potentially doing it. Short-term, long-term there are multiple avenues we can approach here. But we have not yet finished the job.”
Johnson later added that he did not think preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon would require ground troops, but he also emphasized the need to remove Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which others have speculated would require ground troops.
Another sticking point for both countries was control over the Strait of Hormuz, critical to the world’s oil traffic. Iran’s blockade of the strait has sent global oil prices skyrocketing, leading to higher gas prices in the U.S.
Johnson raised the possibility Sunday that the U.S. could block oil coming from the strait from going to China or Russia, as reports have emerged saying the two countries may be helping Iran in the war.
On Sunday morning, Trump announced on his social media platform a blockade of all traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote.
A view of the debris of a school, where many students and teachers lost their lives on the first day of the wave of attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — President Donald Trump said on Monday he doesn’t “know enough” about the strike on an Iranian elementary school that Iran says killed at least 168 people, including dozens of children, but that he was “willing to live” with the findings of a U.S. investigation into the incident.
A newly surfaced video appears to show a U.S.-made missile, a Tomahawk, hitting a building in Iran adjacent to the girls’ school, experts told ABC News.
Trump suggested Monday it could have been a Tomahawk fired by Iran.
“I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, it’s sold and used by other countries, you know that,” Trump said. “And whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks, they wish they had more, but, whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk — a Tomahawk is very generic, it’s sold to other countries. But that’s being investigated right now.”
The U.S. makes and sells Tomahawks to its closest allies, including the U.K. and Australia. But it has never sold the technology to Iran or other adversaries. While other countries like Russia use cruise missiles, only the U.S. makes Tomahawks, as the missile experts say appears to be seen in the video of the school strike.
Israel has already said it wasn’t operating in the area of the school bombing.
The president faced questions Monday on the Feb. 28 incident during a news conference at Trump National Doral Miami, including his comment over the weekend that Iran was behind it.
“Based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing just behind the president on the plane, said the matter was under investigation and that “only side that targets civilians is Iran.”
But pressed on those remarks, Trump said on Monday, “I just don’t know enough about it.”
“I think it’s something that I was told is under investigation. But Tomahawks are –are used by others, as you know. Numerous other nations have Tomahawks. They buy them from us,” Trump said.
“But I will certainly, whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report,” the president continued.
The U.S. military was striking targets in the country last Saturday in an area where an elementary school was hit and dozens of children were killed, two people familiar with the initial findings previously told ABC News.
An analysis of satellite imagery by ABC News suggests the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab was near an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps compound but had been separated from it more than decade ago.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, rejected Trump’s claim that Iran was behind the hit on the girls’ elementary school.
President Donald Trump gives a speech at the World Economic Forum January 21, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte have “formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland” and as a result he will not be imposing the tariffs he threatened on European allies who didn’t agree to his takeover efforts.
“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations. Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” the president added.
His post did not provide further details on the “framework” for Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
Trump continued to be light on specifics during interviews with CNBC and CNN, particularly on whether the U.S. would have ownership of Greenland as he’s demanded.
“Well, we have a concept of a deal. I think it’s going to be very good deal for the United States, also for them, and we’re going to work together on something having to do with the Arctic as a whole, but also Greenland, and it has to do with the security, great security, strong security and other things,” Trump said on CNBC.
When pressed on whether U.S. ownership of Greenland was involved, Trump said he “didn’t want to say yet” and it was “complex.”
On CNN, Trump said the U.S. got “everything we wanted.”
“It’s the ultimate long-term deal, and I think it puts everybody in a really good position, especially as it pertains to security and minerals and everything else,” Trump said.
He also told CNN the deal would be “infinite,” saying: “It’s a deal that’s forever.”
Earlier Wednesday, while speaking at the world Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump notably ruled out using military force to take control of Greenland.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” Trump said in his remarks.
Still, Trump argued no other country can defend Greenland but the United States and said he wanted “immediate negotiations” on the issue.
“All we’re asking for is to get Greenland, including right, title and ownership, because you need the ownership to defend it. You can’t defend it on a lease. No. 1, legally it’s not defensible that way, totally. And No. 2, psychologically, who the hell wants to defend a license agreement or a lease which is a large piece of ice in the middle of the ocean, where, if there is a war, much of the action will take place on that piece of ice,” Trump said.
As part of his Greenland push, Trump last week announced a new 10% tariff rate against eight European nations would go into effect next month. Those levies would later be increased to 25% until the U.S. is able to purchase Greenland, the president said.
Those threats resulted in European officials on Wednesday suspending a trade agreement with the U.S. worked out last summer.
