FBI investigating South American Theft Groups in the United States
FBI field offices across the nation and in South America are targeting SATGs whose members are foreign nationals of South American descent and enter the United States illegally or overstay their visas to commit crimes, the FBI says in an online video titled, "Intercepting South American Theft Groups."
Those crimes include a "recent trend of break-ins at the homes of professional athletes while they are away at games" and are targeted by the theft groups, the FBI says.
"These informal but sophisticated organizations have burglarized jewelry stores and robbed salespeople," according to the FBI video.
"These groups aim to illegally sell their ill-gotten property or send it overseas with their profits - and the resulting black-market demand for stolen goods - fueling the cycle of violent crime."
The FBI says the criminal groups commonly use rental vehicles, fake IDs and documents, multiple burner phones and encrypted messaging apps to communicate, plan and carry out their crimes.
Professional athletes often are targeted
Those crimes have targeted several professional athletes while they are playing games - often that involve travel to distant locations.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow are among the many professional athletes who were targeted by alleged SATGs in recent months.
Other professional athletes recently burglarized include Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley Jr. and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis.
The problem has become so pervasive that the NFL and NBA have warned their respective athletes against criminal acts by SATGs.
"These SATGs are reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones and signal-jamming devices," NBA Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer Leon Newsome said in a recent memo to players.
Burglarized homes typically were unoccupied and had no dogs present when crimes occurred, according to the FBI.
A federal grand jury in Cincinnati on Wednesday indicted three Chilean nationals for a Dec. 9 burglary at Burrow's home in Cincinnati.
Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sanchez, 22; Bastian Alejandro Orellana Morales, 23; and Sergio Andres Ortega Cabello, 38, are Chile citizens and charged with interstate transportation of stolen goods and falsification of records in federal court.
Each faces up to 30 years in federal prison but is innocent until proven guilty.
The three men also are charged with state-level crimes for allegedly breaking into Burrow's Cincinnati home while he was leading the Bengals to a 27-20 win over the host Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 9.
Keanu Reeves' Rolex recovered in Chile
Actor Keanu Reeves also was victimized by a burglary while he was away, and some of the goods stolen from his home recently were discovered in Chile.
Police in Santiago, Chile, in December announced the recovery of three luxury watches belonging to Reeves that likely were stolen from his Los Angeles home in late 2023, CNN reported.
One of the watches is a Rolex Submariner valued at $9,000 and engraved with Reeves' first name and "2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five."
Reeves in 2021 gave Rolex Submariner watches to stuntmen who participated in the filming of "John Wick: Chapter 4."
Local police recovered the watch during a police investigation into a series of local robberies in Chile's capital city.
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42 minutes ago
Brazil's Supreme Court orders house arrest for former President Bolsonaro, a Trump ally
SAO PAULO -- Brazil's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the house arrest for former President Jair Bolsonaro, on trial for allegedly masterminding a coup plot to remain in office despite his defeat in the 2022 election — a case that has gripped the South American country as it faces a trade war with the Trump administration. Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversees the case against Bolsonaro before the top court, said in his decision that the 70-year-old former president had violated precautionary measures imposed on him by spreading content through his three lawmaker sons. Bolsonaro's lawyers said in a statement that he will appeal the decision. They said his words 'good afternoon, Copacabana, good afternoon my Brazil, a hug to everyone, this is for our freedom" — broadcast from a cell phone of one of his sons during a Sunday protest in Rio de Janeiro — cannot 'be regarded as ignoring precautionary measures or as a criminal act.' The trial of the far-right leader is receiving renewed attention after U.S. President Donald Trump directly tied a 50% tariff on imported Brazilian goods to his ally's judicial situation. Trump has called the proceedings a ' witch hunt,' triggering nationalist reactions from leaders of all branches of power in Brazil, including President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Hours after the decision, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said on X that the Trump administration 'condemns (de) Moraes' order imposing house arrest on Bolsonaro and will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct.' 'Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro's ability to defend himself in public is not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!' the U.S. State Department body said. Brazil's government has not commented on the case. Brazil's prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro of heading a criminal organization that plotted to overturn the election, including plans to kill Lula and Justice de Moraes after the far-right leader narrowly lost his reelection bid in 2022. Monday's order followed one from the top court last month that ordered Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor and imposed a curfew on his activities while the proceedings are underway. Following news of the arrest order, a staffer with Brazil's federal police told The Associated Press that federal agents had seized cell phones at Bolsonaro's residence in the capital of Brasilia, as ordered by de Moraes in his decision. The staffer spoke on condition of anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak about the matter publicly. Bolsonaro is expected to remain in Brasilia for his house arrest as he is not allowed to travel. He also has a house in Rio de Janeiro, where he held his electoral base as a lawmaker for three decades. The former army captain is the fourth former president of Brazil to be arrested since the end of the country's military rule from 1964 to 1985, which Bolsonaro supported. The move from the Brazilian justice comes a day after tens of thousands of Bolsonaro supporters took the streets in the cities of Sao Paulo and Rio, pleading for Brazil's congress to pardon him and hundreds of others who are either under trial or jailed for their roles in the destruction of government buildings in Brasilia on Jan. 8, 2023. On Sunday, Bolsonaro addressed supporters in Rio through the phone of one of his sons, which de Moraes' described as illegal. 'The flagrant disrespect to the precautionary measures was so obvious that the defendant's son, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, decided to remove the posting in his Instagram profile, with the objective of hiding the legal transgression,' de Moraes wrote. Flávio Bolsonaro claimed on X that Brazil 'is officially in a dictatorship' after his father's house arrest. 'The persecution of de Moraes against Bolsonaro has no limits!' the senator wrote. De Moraes added in his ruling that Jair Bolsonaro, who governed Brazil between 2019 and 2022, has spread messages with 'a clear content of encouragement and instigation to attacks against the Supreme Court and a blatant support for foreign intervention in the Brazilian Judiciary' — likely a veiled reference to Trump's support for Bolsonaro. De Moraes also said that Bolsonaro 'addressed protesters gathered in Copacabana, in Rio' on Sunday so his supporters could 'try to coerce the Supreme Court.' Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on de Moraes over alleged suppression of freedom of expression regarding Bolsonaro's trial. On Monday, the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called the Brazilian justice 'a U.S.-sanctioned human rights abuser' and accused him of using "institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy." De Moraes said in his decision that '(Brazil's) judiciary will not allow a defendant to make a fool out of it." "Justice is the same for all. A defendant who willingly ignores precautionary measures — for the second time — must suffer legal consequences,' he said. Creomar de Souza, a political analyst of Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said Bolsonaro's house arrest opens a new moment for the country's opposition, which will could gather steam in fighting against Lula's reelection bid next year. Now, de Souza said, 'the 2026 election looks like turmoil' and the political debate in Brazil will likely be split between two key struggles. 'One is the effort of Bolsonaro supporters to keep strong on the right, no matter if it is pushing for amnesty in congress or putting themselves physically out there,' the analyst said. 'The second is how the Lula administration will try to show that the country has a government.' 'This is just the start,' he concluded. The latest decision from the top court keeps Bolsonaro under ankle monitoring, allows only family members and lawyers to visit him and seizes all mobile phones from his home. Lula was imprisoned for 580 days between 2018 and 2019 in a corruption conviction that was later tossed out by the Supreme Court, citing the bias of the judge in the case. Michel Temer, who became president after Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016, was arrested for 10 days in 2019 in connection with a graft investigation, which later ended without a conviction. Earlier this year, de Moraes ordered the detention of President Fernando Collor, who was in office from 1990 to 1992 until he was impeached. The 75-year-old former president was convicted for money laundering and corruption in 2023 and is now serving his more than eight-year sentence. Hours after the order, right-wing lawmakers criticized de Moraes' decision and compared Bolsonaro's situation to that of his predecessors. 'House arrest for Jair Bolsonaro by de Moraes. Reason: corruption?' asked lawmaker Nikolas Ferreira. 'No. His kids posted his content on social media. Pathetic.' The far-right leader is already barred from next year's election due to an abuse of power conviction by the country's top electoral court. 'And those who attacked it are about to pay,' Salabert said.
UPI
4 hours ago
- UPI
Brazil's high court orders Bolsonaro's house arrest, angering Trump admin.
President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro listen to reporter's questions during joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the Washington, D.C.m on March 19, 2019. On Monday, Brazil's Supreme Court order Bolsonaro's house arrest. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/UPI | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered the house arrest of former President Jair Bolsonaro, prompting swift condemnation from the Trump administration, which has imposed penalties against those prosecuting President Donald Trump's ally. Bolsonaro is being prosecuted on charges of conspiring to overturn his 2022 election loss. In his order Monday, Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered the house arrest of Bolsonaro on allegations he violated court-imposed precautionary measures by using the social media accounts of allies, including his three sons, one of whom is a congressman, to post statements online. Moraes described the social media posts as a "continued attempt to coerce the STF and obstruct justice." STF stands for Supremo Tribunal Federal, or Supreme Federal Court, in Portuguese. "The arrest is to be served at Bolsonaro's residence in Brasilia. He will not be allowed to receive visitors, except for his lawyers and other individuals previously authorized by the STF," the order states. "The former president is also prohibited from using a cell phone, either directly or through third parties." A search and seizure of any cell phones in Bolsonaro's possession was also ordered by Moraes, who is overseeing the criminal case. "There is no doubt that Jair Messias Bolsonaro violated the precautionary measures imposed on him, as the defendant produced material for publication on the social media accounts of his three sons and all his followers and political supporters, with clear content encouraging and inciting attacks on the Supreme Federal Court and openly supporting foreign intervention in the Brazilian judiciary," Moraes said. Trump, who has similarly been accused of trying to overturn his own election loss, in 2020, is an ally of Bolsonaro, and has repeatedly used his executive powers to punish those involved in the 70-year-old politician's prosecution, which has prompted accusations of meddling in Brazil's judicial system. Among the measures imposed by the American president are slapping a 40% tariff on Brazilian goods and sanctioning Moraes, as well as revoking his visas and those of his family. The U.S. State Department on Monday night condemned the house arrest order as Moraes' alleged continued use of "Brazil's institutions to silence opposition and threaten democracy." "Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro's ability to defend himself in public it not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!" the State Department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said in both English- and Portuguese-language statements. "The United States condemns Moraes' order imposing house arrest on Bolsonaro and will hold accountable all those aiding and abetting sanctioned conduct." Brazil charged Bolsonaro in February with attempting a coup following his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. According to court documents, his supporters claiming voter fraud stormed Brazil's Congress and other federal facilities on Jan. 8, 2023. The indictment accuses Bolsonaro of spreading debunked claims of fraud in election machines as far back as July 2022 in order to prepare conditions for the coup. As part of the scheme, prosecutors said they even planned the possibility of assassinating Lula. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing, while Trump has described the trial as a "witch hunt."
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
Texas Gov. Abbott orders arrest of Democrats who fled over redistricting
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the 2024 Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 17, 2024. On Monday, Abbott ordered the arrest of state Democrats who fled Texas before a vote could be taken on redistricting maps that could favor the GOP in next year's midterm elections. File Photo by Tannen Maury/UPI | License Photo Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the arrest Monday of House Democrats after they fled the state before a vote could be taken on proposed redistricting maps. The Democratic lawmakers fled to Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to prevent a quorum Monday afternoon and the advancement of voter maps that would benefit Republicans in next year's midterm elections. "Texas House Democrats abandoned their duty to Texans," Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement. "By fleeing the state, Texas House Democrats are holding hostage critical legislation to aid flood victims and advance property tax relief. There are consequences for dereliction of duty." "I ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety to locate, arrest and return to the House chamber any member who has abandoned their duty to Texans," Abbott continued. "This order will remain in effect until all missing Democrat House members are accounted for and brought to the Texas Capitol." On Monday, Texas House Republicans voted 85-to-6, authorizing the House sergeant-at-arms to arrest Democrats who fled the state in protest and prevented a quorum. According to the Texas Constitution, two-thirds of the state House must be present to conduct legislative business. The proposed congressional redistricting map, released last month, could add five new GOP congressional seats. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas claims the maps were "designed to dilute the voting power of communities of color." In addition to facing arrest, the missing House members also face $500 daily fines for breaking quorum. Abbott said he will investigate any Democrat who solicits funds to support their effort. "Reports indicate that many absentee Texas House Democrats have solicited or received funds to evade conducting legislative business and casting votes. Under the Texas Penal Code, any of those Democrats who solicit, accept or agree to accept such funds to assist in the violation of legislative duties or for purposes of skipping a vote may have violated bribery laws," Abbott said. "Also, it could be a bribery violation for any other person who offers, provides or agrees to provide such funds to fleeing Democrat House members." The Texas House Democratic Caucus issued their response Monday to Abbott's threat, saying, "Come and take it." Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu told reporters in Illinois that it was within their moral responsibility to leave the state. "We're not here to have fun. We're not here because it is easy, and we did not make the decision to come here today lightly," Wu said. "But we come here today with absolute moral clarity that this is absolutely the right thing to do to protect the people of the state of Texas." The Texas House is scheduled to reconvene Tuesday at 1 p.m., local time. The current special session is scheduled to end on Aug. 19. Texas state Rep. John Bucy said Democrats are "not running away" but instead "running into the fight." "Look, I didn't run for office to walk out of the Capitol, but I also didn't run for office to stand by while democracy is stolen in broad daylight," Bucy said from Illinois. "Texas Democrats broke quorum because sometimes, the only way to uphold your oath is to refuse to play along with a rigged game."
