Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Bank Larceny on Behalf of Foreign Terrorist Organization

DETROIT -Yosue Manuel Gonzalez-Moy, an illegal alien from Venezuela, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to commit bank larceny on behalf of Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Office.

On October 12, 2025, Gonzalez-Moy and a co-conspirator drove from Illinois to Dexter, Michigan to break into and steal money from an ATM at the Chelsea State Bank. Gonzalez-Moy used a counterfeit key and a cordless drill to open the ATM. He then connected a device to the ATM that would have allowed him to access the ATM remotely and force the ATM to dispense all of its stored currency, a crime commonly referred to as "ATM Jackpotting." Gonzalez -Moy and the coconspirator fled without obtaining any money after an alarm went off. While fleeing from the scene, the co-conspirator crashed his vehicle into a tree and later died at the hospital from his injuries. During a post-arrest interview, Gonzalez-Moy admitted that he was associated with Tren de Aragua (TdA) - a designated foreign terrorist organization - and that he attempted to break into the ATM at the request of other TdA members.

United States Attorney Gorgon stated, "People sometimes think that the dangers of illegal immigration are a faraway problem that don't impact us here at home. Today's conviction shows this is untrue. Tren de Aragua is a vicious and violent foreign terrorist cartel that has victimized numerous communities throughout the United States. Now they have come to Michigan to do the same. But they will find no sanctuary here."

"Criminals who target financial systems through schemes like ATM Jackpotting will be identified and brought to justice," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "The defendant, who was identified as an illegal alien and associate of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a transnational organized crime syndicate from Venezuela, manipulated an ATM machine in our community, in an attempt to unlawfully access currency. I want to be clear: No matter the scheme, when there is a federal nexus, the FBI will work with our partners to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle operations of those involved. I commend the dedicated members of FBI Detroit, and our law enforcement partners for their work in holding this individual accountable and protecting our homeland."

Gonzalez-Moy faces a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Detroit comprises agents and officers from various law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

The investigation was conducted by the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Bilkovic and Tim McDonald.