High-tech Colombian theft ring taken down in Port St. Lucie

By CAROLINA BORGES

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WSVN) — Detectives in Port St. Lucie have uncovered a Colombian theft ring accused of using advanced technology, including GPS trackers ad police radio jammers, to conduct burglaries targeting Asian business owners.

The criminal activity came into light when a witness reported suspicious activity to the police around Thanksgiving, leading to the arrest of 20-year-old Angel Alejandro Rojas-Morales on Dec. 26, 2023. The suspect, who was identified as the key member of the theft ring, was involved in a heist where the criminals stole thousands of dollars in cash and several pieces of jewelry.

“To jam our radios. Things I haven’t heard of before, it’s a sophisticated group. Putting GPS on the business owners cars. Doing surveillance on them so they know when they’re coming and going to do these burglaries successfully,” said Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro.

The operation to take down the theft ring involved cooperation among four law enforcement agencies and resulted in the arrests of Rojas-Morales and six other suspects in Doral. According to police, some members of the group entered the U.S. illegally, with Rojas-Morales believed to have crossed the Southern border of Mexico in early 2023.

Rojas-Morales is currently being held at the Port St. Lucie County Jail with an immigration hold from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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