Tourists in the U.S. may be interested in more than Southern California sun and national monuments, according to authorities. They may be participating in “burglary tourism,” according to authorities.
This week, KNX’s Pete Demetriou reported on a surge in burglaries at upscale homes in Orange County that might be the latest example of the trend.
“More than 20 burglaries in neighborhoods in the Irvine area over the last two months may be linked to the actions of groups of professional thieves who come into this country from Chile or Colombia,” he said.
These crews of thieves may be coming into the country as part of the U.S. government’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization program, or ESTA, according to the Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Through the program, people can stay in the U.S. for 90 days without obtaining a visa.
“During that time, it’s believed they scout homes and then use heavy duty tools to smash their way inside homes, rapidly removing floor or wall safes or other items worth thousands of dollars and leaving very quickly,” Demetriou explained. “Even when caught, the crews many times managed to make bail, then go back abroad before the justice system can process them.”
Last year, The Washington Post reported on an investigation into a similar string of burglaries in the Washington D.C. area.
“The operation was the culmination of a years-long investigation into a skilled burglary ring, one that authorities say netted about $2 million by focusing on a very specific target: high-end homes of Asian and Middle Eastern families in the D.C. suburbs,” said the outlet.
Authorities found that the perpetrators were part of a “sophisticated criminal phenomenon with roots in South America and a reach around the world.”
According to the Washington Post, law enforcement experts said cells of burglars from South America – Colombia and Chile in particular – enter the country using the visa waiver program.
“Once here, they travel from state to state carrying out scores of burglaries, jewelry heists and other crimes, pilfering tens or hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods each year, the FBI estimates,” the outlet reported. “Experts said the groups often operate with impunity because they have found a kind of criminal sweet spot.”
Even if the burglars are caught the bail for nonviolent property offenses is typically low. If the thief is able to post bond, they can head to a different town and steal again. Additionally, the crimes “often don’t meet the threshold for the involvement of federal authorities.”
Dan Heath, a supervisory special agent with the FBI’s criminal investigations division quoted by The Washington Post, said that the “South American theft groups,” were a growing problem in the U.S. as of last year. They have also been detected in India, Britain and Australia using similar tactics.
“They represent an enormous threat right now in our country,” Heath said. “They are tending to thread the needle in avoiding both state and federal prosecution.”
However, Demetriou reported that there is no indication the government is thinking of modifying the ESTA program any time in the future, despite continued burglaries.
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