Four Venezuelan Nationals Charged In $529,000 Connecticut ATM Jackpotting Scheme
Four Venezuelan nationals were arrested June 25, 2026, and charged in a scheme prosecutors say netted more than $529,000 from Connecticut ATMs between August 8 and August 18, 2025.[1]
Prosecutors identified the four as Venezuelan citizens: Euclides Moreno Itanare, 28, of Raleigh; Willian Ricardo Flores, 49, of the Bronx; Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla, 41, of Queens; and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla, 38, of Lynn.[1] Prosecutors say the crew stole more than $529,000 during a ten-day run of hits, including $136,000 in Fairfield, $84,000 in Madison, $66,400 in Branford, and more than $177,000 in Darien.[1] Federal filings say one suspect acted as a lookout while another opened ATM hoods to access internal components.[1] Investigators say the men used cards and PINs on compromised machines, sometimes changing clothes between visits, and that surveillance footage, phone records and account photos tie them to the thefts.[1] An attempted theft at a Cumberland Farms ATM in Ansonia failed after that machine received a software patch that blocked the jackpotting method.[1] All four were arrested June 25 and are detained on federal charges including interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy.[1] If convicted they face up to 10 years on the transportation charge and up to 5 years on the conspiracy charge.[1]
Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan prison gang-turned transnational criminal group, has been linked to malware-enabled ATM jackpotting operations. These schemes use malware variants such as Ploutus to force ATMs to dispense cash without bank authorization. Reported incidents of jackpotting rose sharply beginning in 2021, and in 2025 there were over 700 reported incidents nationwide that produced more than $20 million in losses. Federal prosecutors have responded with broad indictments charging dozens of Venezuelan nationals in multiple states.
Initial news accounts confirmed large thefts from Connecticut ATMs and federal involvement.[2] Later reporting named the suspects, described surveillance and digital evidence, and detailed the collection methods and specific hauls.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention the broader context of the surge in ATM jackpotting incidents, which rose sharply beginning in 2021, with over 700 reported incidents in 2025 alone resulting in more than $20 million in losses nationwide. This statistic highlights a growing trend in financial crimes linked to transnational criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua, which has been implicated in similar schemes and is known to exploit the vulnerabilities of recent Venezuelan migrants in the U.S.[3].
While the summary focuses on the specifics of the arrests and the charges against the four individuals, it overlooks the implications of their actions within the larger framework of Venezuelan migration and the economic instability that has driven many to seek opportunities abroad. The connection between organized crime and the influx of Venezuelan nationals seeking economic prospects in the U.S. underscores the complexities of this issue, as highlighted by reports from the Migration Policy Institute and various U.S. Department of Justice documents. This context is crucial for understanding not just the crime itself, but the systemic factors contributing to such criminal activities.
Show source details & analysis (2 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025 there were over 700 reported ATM jackpotting incidents nationwide resulting in more than $20 million in losses, out of approximately 1,900 incidents reported since 2020.
Increase in Malware Enabled ATM Jackpotting Incidents Across United States — FBI IC3 FLASH
📌 Key Facts
- All four defendants are Venezuelan citizens: Euclides Moreno Itanare (28, Raleigh, North Carolina), Willian Ricardo Flores (49, Bronx, New York), Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla (41, Queens, New York) and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla (38, Lynn, Massachusetts) (Euclides Moreno Itanare).
- Prosecutors say the crew stole more than $529,000 between August 8 and August 18, 2025, including $136,000 from an I-95 northbound rest-stop ATM in Fairfield, $84,000 from an I-95 southbound rest-stop ATM in Madison, $66,400 from an I-95 northbound rest-stop ATM in Branford, and multiple hits in Darien totaling more than $177,000 (more than $529,000](https://www.foxnews.com/us/venezuelan-nationals-charged-529k-atm-jackpotting-scheme-i-95-rest-stops-feds-say)).
- Officials describe the alleged method as one suspect acting as a lookout while another opened the ATM hood to access internal components; over several hours the men allegedly used cards and PINs on compromised machines and sometimes changed clothes between visits to collect dispensed cash (ATM hood).
- Investigators say evidence includes surveillance footage, phone records, Google and Apple account data and photos from a suspect's Apple account showing victim ATMs, images of cash in a vehicle and bags, and photos of suspects allegedly counting money in New York after a Connecticut rest-stop theft (surveillance footage).
- One attempted theft at a Cumberland Farms ATM in Ansonia failed because a software patch had secured that machine against this type of jackpotting attack (Cumberland Farms ATM).
- All four defendants were arrested on June 25, 2026, are currently detained and face up to 10 years in prison on the interstate-transportation-of-stolen-property charge and up to 5 years on the conspiracy charge if convicted (interstate-transportation-of-stolen-property charge).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Article confirms the four previously reported defendants are all Venezuelan citizens and lists their ages and current U.S. cities of residence: Euclides Moreno Itanare (28, Raleigh, North Carolina), Willian Ricardo Flores (49, Bronx, New York), Alberto Jose Freites Arvilla (41, Queens, New York), and Luis Jose Freites Arvilla (38, Lynn, Massachusetts).
- Prosecutors say the crew stole more than $529,000 between August 8 and August 18, 2025, with specific hauls including $136,000 from an I-95 northbound rest-stop ATM in Fairfield, $84,000 from an I-95 southbound rest-stop ATM in Madison, $66,400 from an I-95 northbound rest-stop ATM in Branford, and multiple hits in Darien totaling more than $177,000.
- The article details the alleged method: one suspect acted as lookout while another opened the ATM hood to access internal components; over several hours the men allegedly used cards and PINs on the compromised machines, sometimes changing clothes between visits to collect dispensed cash without drawing attention.
- Investigators say evidence includes surveillance footage, phone records, Google and Apple account data, and photos from a suspect's Apple account showing victim ATMs before and during thefts, images of cash in a vehicle and bags, and photos of suspects allegedly counting money in New York after a Connecticut rest-stop theft.
- One attempted theft at a Cumberland Farms ATM in Ansonia failed because a software patch had secured that machine against this type of jackpotting attack.
- The article notes all four defendants were arrested on June 25, 2026, are currently detained, and face up to 10 years in prison on the interstate-transportation-of-stolen-property charge and up to 5 years on the conspiracy charge if convicted.