Metro Detroit police brace for more burglaries by South American 'crime tourists'

"We request you raise such concerns to the relevant entities within the Government of Chile and strongly urge you to meet the requirements of the VWP for continued participation in the program," the letter said. "If you do not act to comply with such requirements, we are confident that Chile will be suspended or terminated from VWP participation."

In its statement to The News, the Department of Homeland Security said Chilean officials have responded to the California congressmen by "improving operational cooperation with DHS offices in efforts to detect, deter, and prevent travel to the United States by known criminal actors."

Chilean burglary gangs have operated in Washington, D.C., Arizona and Indiana, in addition to Michigan and California. Bouchard and Soley said there are an estimated 100 gangs operating throughout the U.S.

The gangs have also targeted Britain. The London-area Metropolitan Police, in 2017, set up "Operation Genie" to combat the thieves. Authorities said Chilean "burglary tourists" were responsible for the 2020 break-in of English celebrity chef Marcus Wearing 's Wimbledon home. The thieves got away with about $40,000 in jewelry, police said.

Bouchard said one Oakland County heist netted the burglars $4 million in cash and jewelry.

"They were pulling $1 million a week out of Oakland County for a while there," he said.

Chileans charged

In December, Oakland County Sheriffs and the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office formed the Southeast Michigan Collaborate, Arrest and Prosecute, or SEMCAP, which is made up of federal and local law enforcement agencies, to combat the South American Theft Groups.

The task force in December arrested three Chileans who were charged in connection with a series of home invasions across Oakland, Wayne and Kent counties. Jeremy Martinez, Ignacio Ruiz-Saldias and Tamara Ruiz-Saldias, who were charged with multiple Michigan burglaries, will be tried locally, although they will first serve the remainder of the two-year sentences they were given after pleading guilty to a series of burglaries of high-end homes in Indiana.

None of the three defendants are listed in Michigan's court system, and it's unclear whether they've retained attorneys related to the local charges.

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