crime-tourism ring that operated under the guise of a car rental company."Those thinking they can come to our country, take advantage of our liberties and steal from the American people should think again," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada during a news conference in on Wednesday. "There will be serious consequences for those people and we will collaborate with our local partners in creative ways to make sure we're holding you accountable.
brought in criminals from South America to steal millions of dollars in cash and property from businesses and homes around southern California and across the country. Investigators determined that the defendants in the case received about $5.5 million from the thefts that included shoplifting from stores like Target, Best Buy and Home Depot, burglarizing residences and stealing victims’ credit and debit cards from 2018 to last month.
Most of the alleged criminals were from Chile. Prosecutors believe a visa waiver program, which the Latin American country is part of, made it easier for the co-conspirators to come to the U.S.