Chilean gangs entering U.S. under Visa Waiver program behind wave of home burglaries

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI - Sheriff Mike Bouchard of Oakland County, Michigan revealed to reporters on May 16th that a wave of sophisticated burglaries targeting high-value homes yielding millions in stolen goods is being carried out by highly trained criminal gangs from the South American nation of Chile.

Bouchard told News Nation that a particular visa waiver program has made it easier for these gangs to enter the U.S. illegally and reportedly over forty homes in Oakland County alone have been burglarized by the group with large stores of cash, jewelry, and luxury items stolen from affluent neighborhoods that are home to Executives and CEOs of the big-three auto manufacturers.
 

Oakland County authorities held a town hall last night at Christ Church Cranbrook to give people an update on Chilean gangs that are stealing from high-end homes.

Sheriff Mike Bouchard says they are entering the United States using the Visa Waiver Programhttps://t.co/eYUjgUboXh pic.twitter.com/mscok6FlX8

— Michigan News Source (@MINewsSource) May 14, 2024

Bouchard explained the situation and the perceived connection to the Visa waivers to the public during a town hall with Bloomfield Hills DPS Captain Tom Van Simaeys and Bloomfield Police Chief James Gallagher on May 13th at the Christ Chruch Cranbrook according to Michigan News Source.

Bouchard told News Nation that his department has sought assistance from the federal government to bring the situation under control. “We’re not going to stop it as a local agency or even with, you know, state and federal partners. It’s got to be stopped by national policy,” Bouchard said. He confirmed to the outlet that the groups from Chile targeting homes in the county are entering under a visa program that allows a lower level of scrutiny from Border Patrol Agents, permitting travel within the U.S. unimpeded for up to 90 days.

In a statement, a spokesman from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the increase in sophisticated burglaries by Chilean gangs and said that they are working with authorities in Chile to address the problem. 

“DHS and our federal partners have actively engaged with all levels of the government of Chile to address this issue and have communicated the urgency of the situation. Chilean officials have responded by improving operational cooperation with DHS offices in efforts to detect, deter, and prevent travel to the United States by known criminal actors," the spokesman wrote.

The Sheriff added, “They’re aware of the fact that we’re having these crimes all across the country. But at this point, they’ve not shown any inclination to shut that program down or even pause it. They usually issue a standard statement saying they’re aware and they’re working closely with the Chilean government to try to increase information cooperation. That doesn’t help us. Our house is on fire with these burglaries.”

The gangs Bouchard described are reportedly working in approximately 100 different 3-6 man crews all over the country with operations reported in multiple states from New York to California and evidence of members coming from Venezuela and Colombia as well. The complex burglaries often involve using jamming technology to disable Wi-Fi-based home surveillance systems and alarms.