The US authorities indicated that the person “breaks” with the stereotypes of those who use the program.
US prosecutors accused a 55-year-old Venezuelan doctor, specifically from Ciudad Bolívar, of creating and selling malicious software, which cybercriminals used in extortion attempts against multiple organizations.
Moisés Luis Zagala González is accused of building a type of ransomware that burst onto the cybercriminal scene in 2019 and was used in multiple high-profile attacks on organizations in the Middle East, including some incidents involving Iranian government hackers.
Justice Department officials accused Zagala of building an elaborate cybercriminal enterprise, in which he had a vested financial and reputational interest in having his software used in successful hacks.
The cardiologist continued to see patients while trafficking ransomware, according to the US Department of Justice.
Zagala’s case is “unusual,” authorities said, because he is much older than the typical cybercriminal suspect.
Zagala, who according to US prosecutors lives in Ciudad Bolívar, also debunks the stereotype of ransomware actors hailing from Eastern Europe and Russia.
“We allege that Zagala not only created and sold ransomware products to hackers, but also trained them in their use,” Michael Driscoll, deputy director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, said in a statement.
Zagala could not be reached for comment by CNN, the US television station said on its website.
The prospects of Zagala being arrested and extradited to the US are uncertain, since the governments broke relations a few years ago and the atmosphere is tense due to sanctions. In addition to not recognizing Nicolás Maduro.
As part of the US investigation into Zagala, the FBI surreptitiously bought access to one of its hacking tools and relied on confidential informants in the cybercriminal world to build a case, the Justice Department said.
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