Orange County, California, District Attorney Todd Spitzer recently exposed how Chilean migrants have supposedly taken advantage of a U.S. visa program to commit organized burglaries. As a result, Spitzer is calling for the South American nation to be removed from the visa waiver program.
According to the district attorney, federal agencies, such as the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department, have all been aware of this exploitative conduct but have not taken action to address it. Spitzer spoke about the issue on Fox & Friends this past week, blasting the government for its supposed complacency.
“This is the biggest secret in Washington that no one seems to want to do anything about,” he said. Seven Chilean migrants were recently indicted following accusations of orchestrating burglaries of high net-worth individuals, such as Kansas City Chiefs players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Various other professional athletes were targeted as well.
According to prosecutors, the foreign nationals entered the country through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program before going on to steal over $2 million worth of luxury items such as jewelry, watches, cash, and other goods. “Now that high-profile athletes and millions of dollars of their property is being stolen, now it seems to be getting a lot of attention,” Spitzer added.
“Every other South American country that has participated in the past has been kicked out of the program for sending their criminals to the United States of America,” the California district attorney continued. Reportedly, Chile is the only South American country currently participating in the program and is refusing to provide criminal background checks on participants as required.
However, Spitzer claims this is not a new problem. “These Chileans have been coming here for years,” he said. “They’re going to Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is. They’re coming to Orange County, California, where Disneyland is. And they’re not here to visit the happiest place on Earth — they’re here to burglarize.”
A recent DOJ press release about the seven Chilean migrants stated, “The individuals were members of a South American Theft Group that burglarized the homes of professional athletes around the country. These individuals targeted high-profile athletes in the National Football League (“NFL”) and National Basketball Association (“NBA”), all of whom were away or playing in professional games at the times of the burglaries. These individuals stole valuables worth over $2 million.”
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The statement concluded, “On October 5 and 7, 2024, in the Kansas City area, the homes of two Kansas City Chiefs football players were burglarized and jewelry, watches, cash, and other luxury merchandise was taken. The October 7 burglary occurred while the team played in Kansas City, Missouri. As detailed in the complaint, in Tampa on October 21, 2024, the home of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player was burglarized while the team played in Tampa. Jewelry, designer watches, a luxury suitcase, and a firearm were stolen.”
It added, “On November 2, 2024, the Wisconsin home of a Milwaukee Bucks player was burglarized during a game in Milwaukee. A safe containing several watches, chains, personal items, jewelry, and cash was stolen, along with a designer suitcase and designer bags. The total value of property stolen was approximately $1.484 million.”
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Featured image credit: DOJ