Two individuals associated with the Venezuelan organized crime group Tren de Araqua have admitted to bank theft charges. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement.
According to court documents, Jesus Rene Cabrera Tobias, 25, and Darwin Javier Delgado, 46, pleaded guilty after a federal grand jury indicted them for bank theft. On August 8, 2024, they stole $21,500 from an ATM in Enterprise, Mississippi by hacking its operating system and disabling security features with a foreign device.
Surveillance footage captured Tobias accessing the ATM's internal system before installing an electronic device that allowed it to dispense cash continuously. The footage showed Tobias collecting the money and transferring it to someone in their vehicle.
The suspect vehicle was identified through surveillance footage as registered to Delgado. Additional footage showed both men traveling in the vehicle and shopping nearby.
The next day, Texas Department of Public Safety officers stopped the vehicle in Texas. Inside were Delgado and Cabrera along with cell phones and clothing matching those used during the theft operation. Forensic examination of the phones revealed photographs and videos related to the crime as well as metadata placing them at the scene.
Tobias and Delgado are Venezuelan citizens who committed this theft in coordination with members of Tren de Araqua from Venezuela.
"Today’s announcement sends a clear message: Tren de Aragua transnational criminal operations will not be tolerated," said FBI Special Agent Eikhoff. "These guilty pleas underscore the FBI's commitment...in identifying, pursuing, disrupting, and dismantling organized crime syndicates."
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10 for Tobias and October 7 for Delgado; both face up to ten years imprisonment followed by possible deportation. Sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge based on guidelines.
The case was investigated by multiple law enforcement agencies including local police departments and prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Samuel Goff and Brett Grantham.
