FBI’s First Cybercriminal on Top 10 Most Wanted List Captured
One of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBIs) Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives is now in custody– accused of using malware to steal cash from U.S. ATMs and funneling the proceeds to Venezuelan criminal syndicate Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Venezuelan authorities transferred Aníbal Alexander Canelón Aguirre, known as “Prometheus” or “The Engineer,” to the United States to face trial, after he was captured in Venezuela last month. Canelón Aguirre was the first cyber criminal to be added to the Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitive list. He pleaded not guilty in federal court in Nebraska to charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, money laundering, and providing material support to terrorists.
Malware Developer
According to court documents, Canelón Aguirre developed the Ploutus malware and was one of the principal leaders of an ATM jackpotting conspiracy. Prosecutors allege the malware contained elements designed to hinder software protections, as well as files that helped conceal its deployment on ATMs.
Canelón Aguirre joins more than 119 other defendants charged in the case. Prosecutors say evidence established direct and indirect links between the co-conspirators and Tren de Aragua. Millions of dollars were stolen from ATMs in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several foreign countries.
“This case underscores the serious and evolving threat posed by transnational criminal organizations that use sophisticated financial and cyber-enabled schemes to fund violence and destabilize communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon.
The investigation was led by HSI and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of Justice Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, and DOJ’s Office of International Affairs.
The prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative as well as Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV)-- started in 2019 to target MS-13 and expanded to also dismantle TdA.
