A Chilean national, Alex Rodrigo Valenzuela Monje, also known as “VAL4K,” appeared in a Salt Lake City federal court on February 26, 2026, following his extradition from Chile to the United States. He faces charges of trafficking tens of thousands of stolen credit card numbers and related financial fraud offenses.
Valenzuela Monje, age 24, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City on August 8, 2023. The United States requested his extradition from Chile, which was initially approved by the Chilean Supreme Court on April 22, 2025. After several appeals were resolved, he was arrested in Chile on January 14, 2026. He is charged with trafficking in unauthorized access devices and the unlawful transfer of means of identification to facilitate criminal conduct. Valenzuela Monje pleaded not guilty to both counts during his arraignment.
Court documents allege that between May 2021 and August 2023, Valenzuela Monje operated an illegal online marketplace selling stolen payment card data via Telegram channels called MacacoCC Collective and Novato Carding. These channels allegedly offered information for nearly all U.S.-issued payment cards. In one instance involving a single credit card brand, authorities claim he trafficked data for about 26,528 cards. The information sold reportedly included account numbers, card types, holder names, CVV codes or CVCs, and expiration dates.
U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah stated: “I want to thank our federal partners for their dedication in investigating individuals in foreign countries who use the internet to commit crimes against our citizens. Individuals may believe they can hide behind foreign borders, but the United States is committed to investigating and prosecuting these cybercrimes targeting Americans.”
Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI said: “This extradition sends a clear message to cybercriminals everywhere that geography will not shield you from accountability. Even when operating from abroad, those who exploit technology to victimize American companies and citizens will be identified, located, and brought to justice. Our international partnerships, alongside our work with the Utah Department of Public Safety, remain among the FBI’s most powerful tools in targeting and dismantling cyber threats.”
Valenzuela Monje’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 4, 2026 at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. District Courthouse before Senior U.S. District Judge Dale A. Kimball.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office led the investigation with support from Chilean legal authorities including the National Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía Nacional), Policía de Investigaciones (PDI), FBI’s Law Enforcement Attaché office in Santiago as well as assistance from FBI Miami and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs coordinated closely with its Chilean counterparts at Fiscalía Nacional Unidad Especializada en Cooperación Internacional y Extradiciones (UCIEX) throughout the extradition process.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl LeSueur is prosecuting the case.
Authorities remind that an indictment is only an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
