The number of Venezuelan criminals in the U.S. is rising, exemplified by the actions of Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sánchez, Bastián Alejandro Orellana Morales, and Sergio Andrés Ortega Cabello, who have been indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio for interstate transportation of stolen property and for falsifying records in a federal investigation.
This is stated in the criminal complaint and affidavit by FBI Special Agent Aaron Bauder, following the arrest of Quiroga Sánchez, Orellana Morales and Ortega Cabello. The investigation centers on a robbery at the home of an NFL player in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 9, 2024, which resulted in the theft of approximately USD 300,000 in luxury items.
The suspects were identified through license plate readers, surveillance camera images, cell phone data, and a modus operandi consistent with South American Theft Groups (SATG). The individuals were captured in Ohio, and evidence from their cell phones revealed photographs of the stolen items, some of which were deleted during the traffic arrest.
The Investigation Against Venezuelan Criminals in the U.S.
The burglary, interstate transportation of stolen property, and falsification of records in a federal investigation led to a criminal investigation by the FBI, led by Special Agent Aaron Bauder.
The inquiry resulted in the identification and arrest of three individuals: Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sánchez, Bastián Alejandro Orellana Morales, and Sergio Andrés Ortega Cabello, with the first two facing charges of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property, while the latter is charged with Falsifying Records in a Federal Investigation.
The events occurred at the residence of an NFL player in Cincinnati, Ohio, identified in the complaint as J.B., a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, on December 9, 2024, who was a victim of a high-profile robbery. This incident revealed connections to a modus operandi of “South American Theft Groups” (SATG).
Losses are reported at nearly USD 300,000 in designer luggage, sunglasses, wristwatches, and jewelry. It is noted that “J.B. was not present at the residence at the time of the robbery, as he was in Dallas, Texas, for an NFL game.”
The accused gained entry to the residence by forcing a back window in the bedroom that led to a wooded area, allowing them to avoid security located at the entrance. It is believed the burglars “entered the property from the forest located southwest of the house, which would have been out of sight from security detail.”
Part of the loot.
Modus Operandi of South American Theft Groups (SATG)
The investigation established that the robbery is “consistent with thefts executed by South American Theft Groups (SATG),” which target “luxury homes that back onto green spaces, trails, golf courses, or other undeveloped areas used to conceal the approach of suspects.”
The main objectives are to obtain jewelry and designer accessories, often leaving behind other valuables in coastal locations like New York, California, and Florida. The SATG later return to these coastal areas to sell the stolen items.
These groups are generally composed of foreign nationals from South America who enter the country illegally or remain beyond the permitted duration of their visas to continue committing crimes. They travel in rental vehicles and carry fake identifications and documents.
In this case, the accused used a 2024 white Volkswagen Atlas SUV with Florida license plate RDDR37, which was captured by license plate readers (LPR) near the residence in Ohio on December 9, 2024. The same vehicle was seen in Jeffersonville, Indiana, on the same date and in Florida on December 8 and 10, 2024.
The vehicle was rented by Julián Andrés Sánchez Mendoza, later identified as Sergio Andrés Ortega Cabello, who used a fake identification.
The Evidence
Generally, SATG subjects use multiple cell devices to facilitate their criminal activities and “routinely activate and deactivate cell devices, sometimes after just a month, to deter and disrupt law enforcement.”
In this case, a cell phone bearing the number 347-598-9991 was located near J.B.’s residence on December 9, 2024. This phone was associated with Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sánchez.
Additionally, forensic analysis of the phone belonging to Sergio Andrés Ortega Cabello revealed “photos of jewelry confirmed as stolen from J.B.’s residence in December 2024.”
Identification and Arrest
On January 10, 2025, investigators observed four men exiting a La Quinta hotel in Fairborn, Ohio, carrying designer luggage and entering a black Chevrolet Blazer with Florida plate 87BHHC.
A traffic stop was initiated due to a lane violation, and the men presented fake identifications. The driver, Jordan Francisco Quiroga Sánchez, had a “probable fake identification from Argentina under the name Valentino González Diaz.”
Bastián Alejandro Orellana Morales presented a “probable fake identification from Venezuela under the name Juan Contreras Morales,” while Sergio Andrés Ortega Cabello used an “identification from Argentina under the name Julián Andrés Sánchez Mendoza,” the same one used to rent the Volkswagen Atlas.
Identification from Argentina under the name Julián Andrés Sánchez Mendoza
A fourth occupant was identified as Alexander Esteban Huaiquil Chávez, who had a valid New York driver’s license. The illegal presence of the suspects in the United States was established.
Tools used to perpetrate the robbery and clothing believed to have been stolen from J.B.’s residence on December 9, 2024, were also found.
Sánchez and Morales were photographed wearing stolen jewelry in Florida days after the robbery, including photos taken in Orlando, Florida, on December 20 and 25, 2024.
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