🚨 NJ homes impacted

🚨 Criminals were compared to ghosts

🚨 Collaborative effort to find those allegedly involved


Seven Chilean nationals have been charged in burglaries in multiple states from November, including in New Jersey.

“We allege these men and women ransacked houses here in New Jersey and the East Coast, and then quickly traveled across the country, stealing over $100,000 in valuables from private homes,” FBI-Newark Special Agent-in-charge Brian J. Driscoll Jr. said in the U.S. Attorney's Office District of New Jersey release.

SEE ALSO: ‘Safety concerns’ stop NJ officers from going after home invasion trio

Driscoll compared the alleged South American theft group criminals to ghosts, as they would carry out their mission and then disappear. The group used short-term rentals and fake IDs to carry out their mission, he said.

Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna said the following were among some of the things stolen: thousands in cash, designer handbags and wristwatches.

US Currency
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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 were each charged with one count of conspiracy to sell and receive stolen property that had crossed state lines and one count of receiving stolen property that had crossed state lines, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office District of New Jersey.

SEE ALSO: Immigration cops nab 33 suspects in NJ

“The charge of conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison; and the charge of receipt of stolen property carries a maximum potential penalty of ten years in prison. Both charges also carry a maximum potential penalty of up to a $250,000 fine, or twice the amount of money involved in the offense, whichever is greater,” according to the release.

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To get to this point of identifying the alleged foreign nationals, Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna thanked the following in New Jersey:

—FBI Newark’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force (JOCTF)

—Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations

—Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department

—Colts Neck Police Department

—Keansburg Police Department

—Fort Lee Police Department

—Paramus Police Department

—New Jersey State Police

—Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

Driscoll’s takeaway message: “We caught this group — and a warning to others, this doesn’t end here.”

Anyone believing they’re a victim or has information on the theft ring is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI, contact a local field office or share information on tips.fbi.gov.

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