EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers asked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to nix Chile’s status on the visa waiver program (VWP) amid a major gang burglary risk.
Reps. Young Kim, Derek Tran, Dave Min and Mike Levin of California sent a letter to DHS asking that Chile be taken off the list, which allows citizens from certain countries to visit the U.S. for roughly three months without a visa, until steps are taken to ensure that people robbing homes and businesses after they come to the country are stopped.
“We are concerned that the VWP continues to be exploited by South American Theft Groups (SATG) — a majority of whom originate from Chile. Known as ‘burglary tourism,’ certain eligible individuals travel to the U.S. through the VWP for the purpose of committing residential and commercial robberies before returning to their country of origin,” states the letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.
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“In addition to having an impact on familial communities, SATGs continue to victimize Orange County companies and entrepreneurs, placing a burden on our local police departments, already beset by a lack of resources and a staffing deficit,” the letter continued.
“In 2024, there were 59 residential burglaries suspected of being committed by SATGs in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Southeast Patrol Area. Given the threat to public safety, we believe immediate action must be taken.”
The practice of “burglary tourism” has become a relatively common occurrence in communities throughout the country, including affluent areas such as Orange County, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona.
Even top athletes such as Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow have become theft victims.
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Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., flanked by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., left, and Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, speaks during a roundtable discussion about Chile’s continued status as a Visa Waiver Program Country in Santa Ana, California, on June 16, 2023. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
A previous letter was sent by Kim, Levin and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif., asking the Biden administration to take similar action in June 2023, warning that the SATGs will sometimes “sell stolen goods online and launder money through Chinese crime syndicates.”
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer asked Chile to lose its visa waiver program privileges last month on “FOX & Friends.”
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Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer speaks during a news conference at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in Santa Ana, California, on Aug. 24, 2023. (Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
“Every other South American country that has participated in the past has been kicked out of the program for sending their criminals to the United States of America,” Spitzer said at the time.
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“These Chileans have been coming here for years,” he said. “They’re going to Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is. They’re coming to Orange County, California, where Disneyland is. And they’re not here to visit the happiest place on Earth — they’re here to burglarize,” he added.
Southern American gangs, including the Venezuelan group Tren de Aragua, have been under heightened scrutiny under the Trump administration, as many groups like them have now been designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
