Related videos:
The Broward County Sheriff's Office (BSO) dismantled a sophisticated criminal network of South American origin that, over the course of six months, carried out at least six robberies in the gated community Windmill Ranch Estates, in Weston, Florida, amassing a haul of more than two million dollars in jewelry, gold, and cash.
The authorities revealed the details of the operation last Friday, which included the arrest of two men as the main suspects and the identification of at least four additional accomplices, who were detained in other states on unrelated charges.
How they entered the gated community
The band's most striking method was the use of inflatable boats to navigate the channels surrounding the community, thereby evading the vehicular checkpoints.
Weston is a planned city in Broward County, known for its luxury developments surrounded by canals and artificial lakes. This geography, paradoxically, facilitated access for thieves via water, undetected by conventional security systems.
The spokesperson for the BSO, Carey Codd, described the operation as a sophisticated criminal operation, and added that "what became clear in this investigation was that these individuals made incredible efforts to carry out their crimes."
The technological arsenal of thieves
The suspects did not only use brute force to enter the homes.
They carried with them a Wi-Fi signal jammer to disable security alarms, gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, two-way radios to coordinate with each other, a mini sledgehammer weighing 2.5 pounds, and a 12-inch flathead screwdriver to break into windows and safes.
"This is a very sophisticated group whose job is to identify high-value homes," stated Sergeant Robert O'Dor from the BSO while describing the group.
The gang always performed when the owners were away, breaking in through back doors and windows, and targeting the safes inside the master bedrooms.
The two arrested and how they were caught
Daniel Osorio-Valencia, 42 years old and of Colombian descent, was while hiding near a lake within the community, after the homeowners received an alert from their Ring camera.
A BSO agent informed the dispatchers during the search: "There is something moving in the bushes with one hundred percent certainty"; and then specified: "It is on the edge of the water among all that undergrowth."
In Osorio-Valencia's backpack were found the signal jammer, gloves, a mallet, a screwdriver, the wallet with the victim's identification, and numerous pieces of jewelry.
Facing charges of burglary in an unoccupied dwelling and possession of burglary tools with the intent to use them. His bail is set at $18,500.
The second detainee, Jose Elías Barrozo-Espinoza, 38 years old and originally from Chile.
He was linked through DNA evidence to a robbery on November 8, 2025, in which the thieves stole a safe containing approximately $500,000 in gold and jewelry.
Barrozo-Espinoza left blood on a blind and on the floor of the master bedroom. The forensic lab confirmed the match with his genetic profile.
He was arrested on March 21 by the Zionsville police in the state of Indiana while fleeing through the backyards of a neighborhood. A police drone assisted in his capture.
He was extradited to Broward County on April 14 and is facing charges of burglary with damages exceeding $1,000 and first-degree grand theft. His bond was set at $200,000.
A pattern that is repeated throughout the country
Authorities indicated that the gang is part of transnational criminal organizations operating in high-income communities across the United States. They move swiftly between states and select their targets through prior technological surveillance.
Just days before this case, the Federal Department of Justice charged seven Chilean citizens in Tampa for burglaries of homes belonging to professional athletes from the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, in a similar operation.
The BSO formed a multi-agency task force to track down the suspects and urged residents to keep their homes looking occupied.
"These groups do not want interaction with people. If they see a television on or signs that someone may be inside, they often move on to the next house."
As of the closing of this report, both suspects are in custody and also under immigration detention orders.
Filed under: