Members of South American crime group charged with theft in Ventura County
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Three members of a South American crime group have been charged with theft for robbing a Nordstrom Rack store in Ventura County.
Chilean nationals Maximo Bravo, 18, Francisco Osorio, 29, and Roberto Rojas Solis, 22, have been charged with conspiracy to commit organized retail theft, grand theft, commercial burglary, and possession of burglary tools.
Bravo and Osorio were also charged with possession of a forged government seal.
On July 7, deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop and located three suspects who triggered an alarm at a Nordstrom Rack store.
RELATED:
- Chilean "tourists" exploiting U.S. visa waivers to commit mass burglaries in SoCal
- Chilean nationals involved in pursuit, Ventura County burglary arrested
- 3 Chilean nationals in South American theft group arrested in Thousand Oaks: officials
Inside the vehicle, deputies found stolen jewelry from Nordstrom Rack. The jewelry was valued at approximately $5,300.
All three were taken into custody with bail set at $50,000 for each.
The South American crime group, many from Chile, have been committing crimes throughout Ventura County and Los Angeles.
In 2019, a FOX 11 investigation exposed gangs of Chilean nationals who were using visa waivers to come to the United States for the sole purpose of burglarizing homes, businesses, and vehicles.
Law enforcement officials call it "burglary tourism". Over the years, Chilean nationals have been suspected in hundreds of burglaries across Southern California and the country.