Los Angeles Police Department creates task force to combat burglaries led by Latin American gangs – Washington Examiner

The Los Angeles Police Department launched a task force in response to Latin American groups robbing wealthy families’ homes in Southern California.

“I can tell you that we have a significant increase in burglaries from organized groups that are outside this country, that are coming into the country, and they are targeting high-end residents,” LAPD Chief Dominic Choi said last week, NBCLA reported. “And, we are addressing that specifically in a task force fashion, through multi-agencies.”

In a post on the police department’s X account, LAPD said it would be working with other agencies that have also been affected by these organized crime groups. Foreign burglars have also robbed homes in Orange, Ventura, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties, according to investigators.

The department’s Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the Los Angeles Times that the foreign burglars are most commonly from Chile but that police are starting to see more from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. Hamilton said that while robbery statistics are down, “the number of crimes tied to these kinds of crews are way, way up.”

Authorities say the foreign criminals breaking into affluent homes to steal jewelry, cash, and other high-value goods are using tourist visas, which don’t require background checks, to come to California to commit crimes. The 2014 visa waiver was designed to allow tourists to come from certain countries without obtaining a visa.

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This isn’t the first time California has been riddled with foreign crime groups robbing wealthy homes. The wave of “burglary tourism,” specifically being carried out by Chileans, has been increasing over the last five years, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Orange County prosecutors such as District Attorney Todd Spitzer have called for measures to be implemented to block criminals traveling to California as tourists, but without having access to the prior criminal history of Chileans coming to the state to commit robberies, prosecutors are limited, the outlet reported.