RICHMOND, Texas – Seventeen suspects were arrested following a three-month, multi-agency investigation into dozens of burglaries in Fort Bend, Harris and Brazoria counties.
All of them are illegal immigrants from Colombia and at least one had terrorist ties to a paramilitary organization in Colombia, according to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Troy Nehls was angry to learn that some had committed crimes here in the past and been deported, but they came back.
"It's not the federal government's inability to secure our borders, it's their unwillingness to secure our borders," Nehls said. "And quite honestly, I think it's shameful that they aren't doing everything they can to protect the American people."
He said he doesn't know how the suspects got into the country.
The suspects could be linked to as many as 120 home burglaries targeting Asian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern communities since the beginning of 2016.
Detectives noticed an increase in the number of late-evening burglaries where high-end jewelry and purses were stolen, a tactic they say contrasts with the normal trend.
MUGSHOTS: Burglary suspects in Fort Bend County
They coordinated a "complex multi-agency investigation" along with the Houston Police Department, which also identified multiple burglary cases with similar characteristics in their jurisdiction.
Detectives identified several suspects and vehicles commonly used by the suspects, and they were monitored on a 24-hour basis during the three-month investigation.
As result, 17 suspects were arrested immediately following burglaries they conducted, according to deputies.
Information gathered by detectives indicated they were part of a complex organization conducting burglaries within Fort Bend County and the city of Houston.
Detectives were able to identify a total of 49 burglary of a habitation offenses occurring within the FBCSO’s jurisdiction.
The unit obtained several court orders, multiple arrest warrants and filed 49 criminal cases against those suspects arrested to date.
“The diligent efforts of these detectives and their ability to coordinate the activities within this department and with the officers of the Houston Police Department is commendable and should stand as an example for all in the law enforcement profession,”Nehls said.
Ten suspects committed burglaries in Fort Bend County. Five of those 10 suspects are in the Fort Bend County Jail with four of them in jail under holds from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Four suspects in Fort Bend County Jail under ICE holds include: Carlos Alberto Riasco Valencia, 35; Layonel Mosquera Mondragon, 31; Harold Jesus Lerma Mosquera, 43; and Reynaldo Rivera Centeno, 44.
One suspect, Jeferson Caicedo Perlaza, 36, also remains in the Fort Bend County Jail.
The other suspects with cases in Fort Bend County are: Jhon Zamora Ibarguen, 26; Victor Sanchez-Murillo, 38; Miguel Gamboa Espinosa, 41; Jorge Johan Perea, Moreno, 27; and Marving Paredes-Arrechea, 34.
The remaining seven suspects involved in cases in various jurisdictions include: Victor Alfonso Ayovi Cuena, 31; Hector Sinisterra, 34; Anderson Rosera Gamboa, 38; Mario Hurtado Galindo, 28; Andres Fong Luna, 38; Luis Hernando Mosquera Torres, 36; and Jhon Alvarado Riascos Valencia, 28.