
by – L. Richardson
South American crime gangs have stolen a staggering $2.5 million from American cities by taking advantage of security gaps during the Biden-Harris administration. These crime networks, made up mostly of Chilean nationals, carry out bold heists at banks, ATMs, and businesses while moving freely within U.S. borders. The criminals use advanced tactics and disguise themselves as construction crews with high-powered tools. Their organization and sophistication have reached unprecedented levels.
FBI investigations have revealed these criminals use fake IDs, underground rental services, and strategic Airbnb bookings to avoid getting caught. The gangs operate from California to Texas, and recent arrests in Seattle show how far their activities have spread across the country. These coordinated attacks point to severe problems in border security and national defense, which leaves American businesses and communities open to exploitation by foreign criminals.
The Shocking Details of the Crime Spree
Federal investigators have discovered a sophisticated criminal ring with Alex Moyano Morales, a 24-year-old Chilean national, at its helm. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants this mastermind, who leads a gang of eleven members, mainly from Chile 1. The group has coordinated several carefully planned robberies at financial institutions in multiple states: 1.
The Main Perpetrators
A sophisticated criminal syndicate has members from Chile, Peru, and Venezuela who operate with remarkable precision 2. This “South American Theft Group” led by Morales showed exceptional skills in breaching American financial institutions 3. FBI investigators discovered the group’s extensive use of Colombian and U.S. counterfeit identification documents, which allowed them to travel across the country without detection 2.
The Operations and Heists
The gang’s criminal methods revealed meticulous planning and execution skills.
The criminals employed cell phone signal jammers that disabled security systems. They used blowtorches and power tools to break into vaults. The gang members disguised themselves as construction workers and wore high-visibility vests. They systematically rendered surveillance cameras useless with spray paint.
The gang pulled off a bold heist by cutting through a pet spa’s wall to enter a Wells Fargo bank and stole $247,000 1. Their crime spree extended to cities of all sizes in California, including Fresno, Modesto, and Los Angeles. The total stolen amount reached $2.5 million 3.
Digital and Surveillance Slip-Ups
The criminals made a significant mistake despite their careful planning. Their digital footprints led to their capture when investigators tracked an Apple AirTag in a rented Chevrolet Suburban 1. A club promoter, “Tracks,” ran an underground rental service that provided the vehicle. This gave investigators valuable location data that connected the group to several crime scenes 3.
The criminals had a specific way of working. They rented Airbnb properties close to their targets and used these locations to store equipment and plan their heists 4. When they raided these properties, federal agents found hundreds of pounds of robbery tools, disguises, and more than $100,000 in cash 5. License plate readers and surveillance cameras helped track their movements and showed how carefully they planned and executed their crimes 3.
This criminal group launched one of the most significant attacks on American financial institutions. They exposed security weaknesses and freely operated across state lines. Their sophisticated methods highlight a growing problem – foreign criminal networks are becoming more active within our borders.
The Spread of the Crime Wave
A nationwide criminal enterprise has emerged from random jewelry heists, and its impact now reaches way beyond the reach and influence of local communities. Americans have lost millions as these sophisticated criminals continue their operations. The jewelry industry suffered massive losses of $133.20 million throughout 2023, which shows a troubling 2.9% increase compared to the previous year 6.
Geographical Reach
This criminal network operates extensively in multiple states and maintains strongholds in critical strategic areas:
- California: Fresno, Modesto, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego
- Pacific Northwest: Seattle and various Oregon locations
- Texas: Houston metropolitan area
- Northern California: Auburn, Merced, Clovis, Roseville, Rocklin 4
Recent Moves and Arrests
Law enforcement agencies launched a massive coordinated operation targeting thirty-one locations with more than 600 officers from ten agencies 7. The Seattle operation produced these most critical results:
- Seizure of over 50 firearms, including automatic weapons
- Recovery of thousands of ammunition rounds
- Confiscation of several hundred thousand dollars in bulk cash
- Capture of 1 kilogram of fentanyl and 4 kilograms of cocaine 7
Ties to Other High-Stakes Burglaries
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) has linked these crimes to a pattern of “Ocean’s Eleven”-style break-ins targeting businesses throughout America 8. “We see burglaries everywhere, from New York to Texas,” warns Scott Guginsky, JSA’s vice president, noting that “some of the hits are in the millions” 8.
These operations showcase remarkable sophistication, with off-premises crimes surging to 100 incidents in 2023. The resulting losses reached $40.40 million – a dramatic 112.6% increase from the previous year 6. Jewelers Mutual’s vice president of global risk services, Howard Stone, believes these gangs will continue their operations 8.
The interconnected nature of criminal enterprises raises serious concerns. South American gangs operate as separate crews but maintain loose communication networks to share intelligence and methods 8. Their coordination has created a troubling pattern where professional criminals execute fewer but more profitable heists. This strategy has led to higher dollar losses despite a 26.7% decrease in total crime incidents 6.
American security infrastructure faces a critical weakness that criminals continue to exploit under the current administration. These calculated attacks on American businesses and communities require swift action and accountability from our nation’s leaders.
Systemic Failures Enabling These Heists
America’s catastrophic border security failure has created a perfect storm that allows international criminal enterprises to thrive. Under the current administration, immigration court cases have exploded from 1.2 million to 3.5 million 9. This judicial bottleneck gives criminal networks freedom to operate without consequences.
Weak Immigration and Border Policies
The Biden-Harris administration’s immigration enforcement policies have reshaped the scene at America’s borders, turning them into gateways for criminal enterprises. Internal DHS documents reveal these borders have become an “easy target” for financial crime perpetrators 10. Their reckless mass use of parole and inadequate vetting allows criminals to “freely—and repeatedly—roam our country” 9.
The statistics paint a grim picture:
- Over 80% of state prisoners re-offend within 10 years of release 9
- 92% of total transaction volume went unmonitored from January 2018 to April 2024 10
- An estimated $18.3 trillion in transaction activity escaped proper scrutiny 10
Lax Federal Oversight and Leadership Accountability
The federal government’s negligence extends beyond border control into financial oversight. Senior executives enforce a “flat cost” approach and refuse to increase security budgets despite substantially higher risk profiles 10. This calculated underfunding has created massive vulnerabilities.
The Department of Justice needs to protect consumers and maintain market integrity 11. The administration ignores repeated warnings from federal regulators and internal audit groups about transaction monitoring deficiencies and refuses to implement essential security measures 10.
The systematic dismantling of protective barriers raises serious concerns. Transaction monitoring programs stayed “effectively static” between 2014 and 2022. They failed to adapt to emerging money laundering risks or new criminal methods 10. Because of this negligence, criminal networks exploited America’s financial infrastructure. One network processed over $470 million through large cash deposits into nominee accounts 10.
Security experts point out that the administration’s policies created a “convenient” environment for criminals 10. America’s defenses weakened deliberately, which led to:
- No monitoring of high-risk country transactions
- Poor screening of peer-to-peer transactions
- No reporting requirements for suspicious customers
- $5 billion in transactions through accounts marked for closure 10
These systemic failures show more than administrative oversight—they betray American security interests. The Biden-Harris administration promotes “safe, orderly, and lawful” immigration pathways. Yet, criminals exploit these same pathways to harm American communities 9.
Expert Opinions and Industry Warnings
Security experts warn that South American gangs have launched sophisticated attacks against American businesses at an alarming rate. The jewelry sector faces a severe threat from these criminal operations. Experts describe this situation as a burglary crisis that has caused record-breaking losses and threatens American commerce 12.
Statements from Security Officials
Jewelers Mutual’s vice president of global risk services and analytics, Howard Stone, warns about a dangerous trend: “The crime landscape is evolving quickly, and criminals are becoming more sophisticated than ever. No business is exempt” 13. Security professionals have noticed a troubling rise in coordinated attacks throughout the country.
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA) vice president Scott Guginsky speaks from his 30-year career in the field: “I haven’t seen this level of severity and frequency in these types of attacks in all of my 30 years involved with jewelry crimes” 13. His expertise and JSA’s nationwide crime tracking make this warning particularly significant.
The Jewelers’ Security Alliance has launched a strong response:
- Implementation of high-priority alarm protocols
- Enhanced weekend and holiday security measures
- Direct coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement 13
Reports on Coordination and Crime Intelligence
Intelligence reports show a troubling pattern of coordination among criminal enterprises. These South American gangs work as separate units but maintain what experts describe as “loose-knit” communication networks. They share intelligence and methods across state lines 8. Their coordination allows them to:
- Adapt tactics based on successful heists
- Share information about vulnerable targets
- Coordinate timing of operations
- Exchange resources and expertise
JSA’s detailed analysis proves these are not isolated incidents but pieces of a more significant, coordinated attack on American businesses. “We see burglaries everywhere, from New York to Texas,” Guginsky reports, noting that “some of the hits are in the millions. These are the largest dollar losses we’ve seen” 8.
Howard Stone’s team at Jewelers Mutual spotted a significant surge in criminal activity that started in June and shows no signs of slowing down 8. This ongoing threat has pushed the industry to put in place new security measures such as:
- Better surveillance systems
- Stronger physical security barriers
- Advanced alarm response protocols
- Better coordination with law enforcement
FBI’s involvement has grown, and specialized units are now tracking these sophisticated criminal networks. Their investigations show these gangs work independently but maintain strategic communications that make them more dangerous than traditional criminal enterprises 8.
The progress of these criminal operations raises serious concerns. Unlike traditional theft rings, these South American gangs show unprecedented sophistication. They use advanced technology and military-style precision in their operations. American businesses face a clear escalation in threat levels that needs immediate attention from federal authorities and a complete overhaul of security protocols.
The facts paint a clear picture: America faces an organized, sophisticated criminal threat that exploits weaknesses in our national security infrastructure. Security experts raise alarms while the current administration’s policies let these criminal enterprises operate increasingly boldly.
Conclusion:
A Call to Action for True Patriots
Criminal gangs from South America have launched a series of sophisticated attacks on American security systems. Their heists amount to $2.5 million, revealing severe gaps in border protection and federal oversight. These criminals show military precision in their operations. They use cutting-edge technology, forged IDs, and careful planning to target banks in several states. Security experts believe these attacks are not random. They point to a well-planned campaign against American businesses that thrives because of weak immigration enforcement and border control under the current administration.
The growing sophistication of these criminal networks poses a severe threat to American communities and businesses. They just need swift action to protect their interests. Federal investigators have uncovered a concerning trend – even as overall crime numbers drop, professional criminals commit fewer but more profitable heists. This leads to unprecedented losses for many industries. Recent law enforcement victories in Seattle showcase how these threats can be stopped. The police seized massive weapons caches and arrested several suspects through coordinated efforts and better security protocols. However, current policies allow these criminal groups to operate freely across borders.
References
[4] – https://www.kcra.com/article/atm-california-oregon-texas-theft-ring/62786192
[6] – https://jewelerssecurity.org/the-jewelers-security-alliance-publishes-its-2023-annual-crime-report/
[8] – https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/jewelers-oceans-eleven-burglaries/
[11] – https://www.justice.gov/jm/jm-9-28000-principles-federal-prosecution-business-organizations
[13] – https://www.jewelersmutual.com/newsroom/urgent-security-advisory
[18] – https://www.jckonline.com/editorial-article/jewelers-oceans-eleven-burglaries/
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