Seven individuals from Chile have been charged in connection with a series of residential burglaries across several states, according to an announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna. The suspects, identified as Christofer Sanguesa Aguirre, Fabiana Prado Scatarzi, Santana Arturo Castillo Gonzalez, Felipe Andres Del Valle Munoz, Carlos Alfredo Calderon Valencia, Diego Antonio Calderon Leiva, and Pedro Alejandro Salgado Vallejos, face charges including conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that crossed state lines.
Khanna stated: "Residential burglaries have a traumatic and personal impact upon the people whose homes are violated. Seven Chilean nationals have been charged with conspiring to target homeowners in residential burglaries across multiple states from New Jersey to Massachusetts."
The FBI's Newark Special Agent-in-charge Brian J. Driscoll Jr. commented on the alleged crimes: "We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast...stealing over one hundred thousand dollars in valuables from private homes."
John Tsoukaris of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement emphasized the importance of collaboration among law enforcement agencies: "ERO’s contributions to this investigation...were critical in facilitating the criminal charges."
Port Authority Police Superintendent Edward Cetnar highlighted technological efforts used during the investigation: "By working together and leveraging our advanced technology...we were able to track these subjects across state lines."
The suspects made initial court appearances on January 15, 2025, in various federal courts across the country where they were detained.
Documents reveal that this group is suspected of being part of a sophisticated burglary ring targeting homes for valuable items such as jewelry and designer goods with losses exceeding $100,000.
If convicted on charges of conspiracy or receipt of stolen property, each defendant faces significant prison time and fines.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth is handling the case for the government. The defendants are represented by various defense attorneys based on their locations.
Authorities urge anyone who may be a victim or has information about these incidents to contact the FBI through available channels.
The complaint's allegations are not yet proven in court; thus, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.