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Posted on 02/24/2026 4:58:38 AM PST by OldHarbor
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston police have arrested 20 people in connection with a South American burglary ring and recovered $4 million in stolen property, according to investigators.
The ring is believed to be responsible for more than 60 home break-ins across the Houston area, including seven in West University Place.
Eyewitness News has learned HPD's Westside Crime Suppression Team took one of the "major players" into custody last month.
Chilean national Patricio Munoz and his wife, Tania Barra, were arrested Jan. 28.
Investigators said the couple was funding and directing many of the break-ins. Munoz was previously charged and sentenced in Los Angeles for the 2022 break-in of then-Congresswoman Karen Bass' home.
The FBI has linked the same Chilean burglary ring to break-ins at the homes of professional athletes in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kansas.
In Houston, Munoz allegedly was selling jamming devices to a separate Colombian burglary ring.
The devices, which are illegal under federal law, can interfere with home security systems and other wireless communications.
West University Place police said they found a jamming device on Chilean burglary suspect Ignacio Castillo Contreras during a break-in last year.
"It's sending out a really strong signal to overwhelm the signal of your security cameras, your alarm system, your cell phones," Nigel Neilsen, who runs the IT firm Idealtek, said.
When Munoz and Barra were arrested last month, they were initially booked on charges of tampering with government records.
Munoz had a fake Mexican passport and fraudulent car title, according to court records, while Barra is alleged to have used a fake Argentinian ID to rent an apartment.
Days later, Munoz was charged with the Oct. 4 burglary of a home in a gated Royal Oaks neighborhood.
Investigators said he broke in through a window after jumping a fence and then pried open a safe and stole four watches, each worth thousands of dollars.
When police searched his apartment, they said they found watches, jewelry, and other pricey items. In his child's bedroom, they said they found pry bars and a jamming device.
While the tampering charges against Munoz and Barra were later dropped, Munoz currently faces the burglary charge, and Barra is being held on a warrant out of Pennsylvania.
Both are also wanted by federal immigration authorities.
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All the way from Chile . 20 arrested . Jammers used to disable security systems. Robbing pro athlete’s homes as well as Karen Bass’ home .
Gee, I wonder who let them into the U.S.
Not sending their best.
“””” Munoz was previously charged and sentenced in Los Angeles for the 2022 break-in of then-Congresswoman Karen Bass’ home.”””
Another example of California protecting illegal criminals.
Why wasn’t Munoz DEPORTED after serving his California sentence???????????????????????????????
Bass would fight to keep these folks here .
Bizzaro World.
Investigators said the couple was funding and directing many of the break-ins. Munoz was previously charged and sentenced in Los Angeles for the 2022 break-in of then-Congresswoman Karen Bass' home.
So, why wasn't the shmuck already in the can? Do they just give a ten-minute timeout for burglary in Commiefronia?
Criminals from around the world itch at the chance to ply their trade in the land of opportunity.
When the powers that be help provide the gangs with food, welfare, medical care , etc,
Stop the madness.
Actually, Chile is the richest Latin American country, so Chileans can visit without visas.
Chilean citizens can travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), provided they have a valid electronic passport and an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).
Since they are comparatively wealthy, the are not considered a risk for visa overstay.
Problem is that enterprising Chileans engage in crime and then fly back. So crime committed by Chileans has became a major problem.
Its going to take years to clean up the Latin American crime rings that started operating in the country as a result of Biden’s open borders policy. The damage that Biden’s border policy did to this country is so bad. The GOP needs to keep reminding people of those consequences.
“It’s sending out a really strong signal to overwhelm the signal of your security cameras, your alarm system, your cell phones,”
= = =
What frequencies or bands are they jamming?
Phones are quite different from wifi.
Maybe they mean wifi, and the phone’s wifi connection?
Or a few frequency bands to get them all?
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