'Burglary tourism' is 'a national issue': Police warn about uptick in foreign criminals abusing visa waiver program

Local law enforcement departments in multiple states are warning about an uptick in South American criminals abusing the United States visa waiver program.

The Los Angeles Police Department told residents that "burglary tourism" has been increasing over the last five years, Blaze News previously reported.

The criminals, mainly from Chile, enter the U.S. through the tourist visa system, which does not require travelers from eligible countries to submit to a background check.

After entering the country, the organized groups target affluent neighborhoods, using WiFi jamming devices to disrupt security systems. The criminal rings steal high-ticket items, including jewelry, designer purses, and other valuables, that they can turn for a quick profit. After selling the items, they send the cash back home.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the Los Angeles Times last month that the sophisticated heist rings are not new to the area but noted that they have become increasingly more active.

"The number of crimes tied to these kind of crews are way, way up," Hamilton stated. "They often target homes often connected to open spaces, hiking trails and canyons that give them access."

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer explained that the criminals "take advantage of the fact that most people don't have window sensors or motion detectors on their second floors."

According to Spitzer, the burglars sometimes "lie in wait in these ghillie suits so they remain camouflaged."

Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther stated during a recent press conference that burglary tourists are also targeting high-end neighborhoods in Arizona.

"What we're getting is hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, coming in through the visa waiver program that are committing residential burglaries in dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of cities and neighborhoods around the country," Walther remarked. "This is not a Scottsdale issue, this is not a Valley issue, this is not an Arizona issue. This is a national issue."

"We have to be willing to start asking some hard questions of our federal government about the visa waiver program," he added.

CNN reported that within the last year, suspected burglary tourists have also committed heists in Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Nassau County, New York.

Ventura County, California, officials estimate that there have been approximately 175 such burglary cases between 2019 and mid-2023.

DA Spitzer noted that the Chilean government has not been providing background information for citizens granted visa waivers despite a requirement to do so.

"If we don't know the criminal background of these individuals ... then we can't tell the judge anything or represent anything about the background," he stated. "Which means the person is released on no bail and they never come back again to answer for the charges."

Spitzer demanded that the Department of Homeland Security revoke Chile's participation in the visa waiver program "until they comply with providing criminal background checks."

"This is not a California problem; this is a national issue that is wreaking havoc on communities across the United States," Spitzer wrote in a post on X.

The DHS told CNN it is "deeply concerned with some individuals who travel to the United States and engage in criminal activity." However, it added, "Chilean officials have responded by improving operational cooperation with DHS to prevent travel ... by known criminal actors."

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