Three men sentenced to prison in 'burglary tourism' case
Summary
1. Organized theft rings, primarily composed of South American nationals (especially from Chile), are entering the US on tourist visas to commit burglaries in affluent neighborhoods.
2. These groups are exploiting the Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens from certain countries (including Chile) to enter the US for 90 days without a visa.
3. The burglars use sophisticated tactics, such as:
- Targeting wealthy homes near open spaces or trails
- Entering through second-floor balconies
- Using fake IDs to rent vehicles
- Employing pre-paid phones and changing them frequently
- Sometimes using Wi-Fi jammers to disrupt security systems
4. Law enforcement agencies have reported an increase in these crimes, with hundreds of burglaries attributed to these groups across multiple states.
5. Several arrests have been made, including three men sentenced to prison terms in San Diego County for a burglary in Carlsbad.
6. Authorities are calling for stricter vetting in the visa process and better international cooperation to prevent criminals from entering the country.
7. Despite the concerning nature of these crimes, overall crime rates, including burglaries, have generally been declining in the US and California over the past decade.
8. Police advise residents to be vigilant, maintain security systems, and take precautions when traveling to deter these burglaries.
The articles present this as a significant and growing concern for law enforcement and homeowners in affected areas, while also noting that overall crime trends remain positive.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan announced on Monday that three defendants who burglarized a home in Carlsbad in January were sentenced prison terms between four and six years.
Christian Tapia, 39 and Romai Aranedapogge, 36, both received a six-year prison sentence while Joe Acevedo, 20, was sentenced to four years, according to the DA’s office.
The group is part of a foreign traveling crew using the Visa Waiver Program to get into the country to commit “burglary tourism,” which has exploded in prevalence across the country.
“These cases are hard to solve because they are very sophisticated rings that commit what I’m calling Tourism Burglaries,” Stephan said. “They come in on tourist visas from Chile, from Italy and this is a quick visa where they apply for it online.”
Stephan says 100 homes across the county have been burglarized by this crime ring and 11 people have been prosecuted in the county so far for their connection. Investigators say the group is mostly made up of Chilean men ages 18 – 55.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my career, this level of sophistication,” Stephan said.
Prosecutors say those involved in the theft group travel to the United States through the ESTA Visa Waiver program. This program allows people from Chile fill out an online questionnaire with no foreign background checks and receive a 90-day tourist visa. Most of the defendants involved in theft cases in the U.S. also have a criminal record in Chile.
Once in the country, the suspects obtain false foreign driver’s license and IDs and use the fake identities to rent the vehicles. The burglary team members will all have what is considered a work phone which most often is a pre-paid cellular phone. The suspects change the phone and or SIM card every 30 days or sooner.
The residential burglaries have similar circumstances. The homes were wealthy neighborhoods where houses backed up open space, a golf course, hiking trail or horse trail. On many homes, entry was made via a second story balcony.
“This case is part of a crime spree that has plagued our nation where organized criminal rings, often with criminal records in their own country, are given a visa to the United States that they use to commit burglary tourism,” Stephan said. “I’m proud of the Carlsbad Police department investigation and of our prosecution team for their continued work on taking down these roving theft networks that eat away at the safety and security of residential neighborhoods.”
On June 4, all three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary, residential burglary, identity theft and resisting arrest.
Stephan added more needs to be done on the federal level to crack down and tighten up a visa system she calls “broken.”
International 'Burglary Tourism' Ring Dismantled, San Diego Convicts Three for Affluent Area Break-Ins
In what unfolded like the plot of an international crime drama, three burglars involved in a rash of high-end home thefts across San Diego County have been handed down prison sentences. The trio, who authorities say are part of a larger syndicate that employs the U.S. Visa Waiver Program to orchestrate 'burglary tourism,' were convicted for a break-in that occurred in Carlsbad this past January, according to a news release from the San Diego County District Attorney's office.
The sentences meted out were four to six years for the involvement in what has been an escalating series of similar crimes in the area, with Christian Tapia, 39, and Romai Aranedapogge, 36, receiving the longer stretch of six years behind bars and Joe Acevedo, 20, getting a four-year term; as the District Attorney Summer Stephan put it, "These criminals not only stole cash and valuables from the victims, but they also stole the community’s peace of mind". In a daylight operation fraught with coordinated evasion usually seen in heist films, the defendants, upon discovering police presence, had dashed from the Carlsbad home—and sent police on a brief chase before being apprehended.
Adding context to this disturbing trend, the defendants, revealed to be citizens of Chile and Italy, apparently typify a South American Theft Group modus operandi; characterized by burglarizing affluent neighborhoods, the thieves often hit homes adjoining less patrolled areas like open spaces or trails, a detail corroborated by the District Attorney's office. Utilizing the ESTA Visa Waiver program, which enables Chilean nationals to gain U.S. entry almost unvetted for 90 days, these burglars are noted to possess criminal records in Chile but slip through the cracks of international law enforcement collaboration.
The burglars' strategy of utilizing false identification, renting vehicles under fake pseudonyms, and cycling through pre-paid phones likely assists in obscuring their moves from the authority’s grasp—tactics that San Diego's law enforcement are now all too familiar with and have been, in this case, successful in countering, "This case is part of a crime spree that has plagued our nation where organized criminal rings, often with criminal records in their own country, are given a visa to the United States that they use to commit burglary tourism," DA Stephan emphasized in charging documents. Deputy District Attorney Malak Behrouznami, who prosecuted the case, shares the credit for this triumph of justice over transnational organized crime.
California’s Latest Safety Threat: Burglary Tourists - Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association
Known for its great weather and iconic landmarks, California has long been a magnet for domestic and international visitors looking to enjoy all the amenities the state has to offer. However, a troubling new phenomenon has emerged involving foreign intruders exploiting the United States’ lax visa and criminal justice system.
In a trend dubbed “burglary tourism” by authorities, thieves from South American countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia have been involved in hundreds of break-ins throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the Los Angeles Times that nearly 100 burglaries alone were committed north of the 118 Freeway in L.A. last year by South American theft groups.
While the issue first emerged in 2019, it has grown significantly in recent months, according to authorities. To counter the alarming spike in home break-ins, the LAPD recently formed a task force with other local agencies to target these organized burglary rings. “I can tell you that we have a significant increase in burglaries from organized groups that are outside this country, that are coming into the country, and they are targeting high-end residents,” LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said at a recent Police Commission meeting.
In the case of Chile — home to many of the criminals committing these burglaries — law enforcement believes the suspects are taking advantage of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows tourists and business travelers to enter America for 90 days or less without having to obtain a visa or go through a thorough vetting process.
Chile, which the State Department describes as a “regional leader for the rule of law and economic stability,” is the only Latin American country approved for the waiver program, joining the likes of France, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
In a case dating back to August 2023, Burbank police officers arrested a 33-year-old Chilean national after a woman reported four men had broken into her home through a sliding door. One of the men, Leiva Solis, was found in a nearby yard and was suspected of four other burglaries across the city, according to court documents.
LAPD Detective Robert Hoebink said in a court declaration that Solis’ crew was linked to at least 30 burglaries in West Los Angeles alone. Hoebink added that the Chilean used a fake passport to open a bank account and wired more than $23,000 back home despite being in the U.S. on a tourist visa.
On December 27, LAPD officers picked up three more members of Solis’ suspected group in Beverly Hills. Inside their vehicle, police said they found $1 million worth of stolen designer purses, watches, clothing and jewelry — all believed to be from a single heist.
Once these foreign thieves are in the country, police say, they stake out affluent U.S. neighborhoods and ransack homes for profit, sending their valuable goods back to their home country.
Adding to the concern among residents about this growing issue is just how elaborately planned many of these heists are. Burglars have raided waterfront homes with private docks by boat and used jamming equipment to disrupt Wi-Fi networks and expensive security systems, according to FOX 11. In other cases, police have caught criminals hiding in brush and wearing ghillie suits, waiting for homeowners to leave.
Police also say that these foreign crooks often break in through the second floor, where homeowners are less likely to have alarms on their doors and windows.
“They often target homes connected to open spaces, hiking trails and canyons that give them access,” Hamilton said. “They also tend not to carry guns. They don’t want to get gun charges.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer is very familiar with this type of brazen crime and has been warning the public about it since last summer.
“These are not crimes of opportunity,” he said in a press release. “These are carefully calculated and planned attacks on what should be our safe place — our homes. And when they get it wrong — and someone is home — they do whatever it takes to terrorize their victims into telling them where the money is.”
Spitzer adds that Chile has failed to conduct criminal background checks on its end for the waiver program and share information with the U.S., resulting in dangerous career criminals being treated as first-time offenders if they are caught in the act in America.
“I find the rise of burglary tourism in California deeply alarming,” LAAPOA President Marshall McClain says. “Our community members deserve to feel safe and secure in their own homes, and we stand committed to working with local law enforcement agencies to combat this invasive threat and ensure that justice is served.”
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Founded in 1982, the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA) represents the sworn police officers of the Los Angeles Airport Police, the Los Angeles Municipal Police and the Los Angeles Park Rangers assigned to protect and serve Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and the city of Los Angeles, and provide emergency medical services, law enforcement and wildland firefighting in the open space parks and throughout the city of Los Angeles.
‘Burglary Tourists’ Are Robbing Homes Across the U.S.
Authorities are issuing a warning about sophisticated crime rings known as 'burglary tourists.'
In California, burglars are using sophisticated means to rob wealthy homes. They wear camouflage to scope the neighborhoods, use wi-fi jammers to prevent security alarm systems, and break into homes from the second floor where there are fewer security measures when owners are away.
Authorities are blaming these crimes on “burglary tourists”, and claiming that the culprits are entering the country from South America.
Burglaries in Los Angeles are unfortunately nothing new. Just this Easter, $30 million cash was stolen from a money storage facility. Last November, a thief who stole $5.5 million from luxury homes in Los Angeles was sentenced to 31 years in prison. His victims included Usher, Adam Lambert, and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Dorit and Paul Kemsley.
But this particular type of burglary involving tourists has seen an uptick in recent years according to LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton. They operate without guns and target high-end homes they suspect would have cash and jewelry that could be sold. Then these international organized groups wire the money to their home countries.
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LAPD has formed a task force to deal with the problem. Similar crimes have also been reported elsewhere in California, in both Orange County and San Diego; as well as Scottsdale, Arizona; Nassau County, New York; and Baltimore, Maryland.
Many of these burglaries are linked with Chilean nationals, who can enter the U.S. without a visa for a 90-day stay.
Visa Waiver Program
Chile is part of the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which allows nations of participating countries to visit the U.S. on business or tourism without a visa for 90 days. It is the only South American country to be eligible for this waiver. Travelers still need an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to their trip. Citizens also need e-passports with an electronic chip containing biometrics and machine readability.
The U.S. Department of State explains that a country needs to fulfil certain conditions to get the VWP status such as “enhanced law enforcement and security-related data sharing with the United States” and “maintenance of high counterterrorism, law enforcement, border control, and document security standards.” But meeting these requirements doesn’t guarantee the status; the designation is at the discretion of the U.S. government.
American passport holders, in return, can enter 189 countries without a visa as per The Henley Passport Index.
Currently, questions are being asked about this federal program, especially by Orange County, California, District Attorney Todd Spitzer who sued the federal government for not disclosing visa negotiations with Chile.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, police arrested three Chilean nationals for a series of burglaries in the city. In a press conference in March, Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther said that not all Chileans coming to the country are committing crimes. “But what we’re getting is hundreds, hundreds if not thousands coming in through the visa waiver program that are committing residential burglaries in dozens and dozens and dozens of cities and neighborhoods around the country.”
Homeland Security said in a statement to CNN that it’s concerning that some individuals are engaging in criminal activities. “Chilean officials have responded by improving operational cooperation with DHS to prevent travel… by known criminal actors.”
Nationals from other South American countries including Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador are also allegedly involved in these thefts, but they go through much more scrutiny because they need to apply for visas.
The Numbers Paint a Completely Different (and Much Safer) Picture
There may be a rise in these robberies, but however unsettling the headlines or TikToks may seem, the numbers still show a different picture.
For years, public perception has been that the crime rate is going up even when agencies have said otherwise. According to a Gallup poll in November 2023, 77% of Americans surveyed believed that there is more crime in the country compared to the previous year.
In reality, the crime rate in the U.S. is falling. The FBI data from 2023 pointed to a downward slope with reported violent crime down by 6% and property crime declined by 4%. Experts warn that the numbers may be incomplete, but it’s still encouraging.
Despite a slight uptick in burglaries in California from 2021 to 2022, there’s been a consistent decline over the last 10 years. Between 2014 and 2022, burglaries in the state were down 38%. And in Los Angeles County, burglaries are down 17% since 2014.
Police remind people to maintain their camera and security systems, let neighbors know when you’re traveling, and use timers for lights to indicate you’re home because they appear to break into empty homes.
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