Robert Mueller indicts 12 Russians for DNC hacks ahead of the 2016 election

Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein has announced new indictments in the special counsel probe of Trump campaign ties to Russia.

A federal grand jury has indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers on charges related to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The GRU officers, who are identified by name in the indictment, also allegedly hacked into state election websites to steal voter information.

The stolen data was then posted online by Guccifer 2.0 and DC Leaks, which investigators confirmed were fronts for Russian agents.

"The conspirators, posing as Guccifer 2.0, wrote to a person who was in regular contact with senior members of the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump," the indictment says.

One-time campaign adviser Roger Stone has admitted that he exchanged Twitter direct messages with someone associated with the Guccifer 2.0 account.

Rosenstein pointed out that no evidence showed the hacks had changed the outcome of the election, and he said U.S. law enforcement intends to apprehend the suspects.

The deputy attorney general said he briefed President Donald Trump about the impending indictments earlier this week.

The ongoing criminal investigation has so far resulted in five guilty pleas and 20 indictments.

Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos have pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller probe, and deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates also agreed to cooperate as part of a plea agreement.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was jailed last month on witness tampering charges as he awaits trial on fraud, money laundering and other charges in connection with the probe.

Mueller has also obtained indictments against 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies related to the hacking of the Democratic National Committee.