Investigators Bust International Theft Ring Soldiers: HPD

HARRISON, NY — Two men investigators say are a part of an infamous international theft ring were arrested following an attempted home break-in, according to Harrison Police.

On Friday, the two suspects from the Republic of Chile, identified as Piero Antonio Morales-Marchant and Paul Anthony Montecino-Leiva, were arrested for attempted burglary, according to officials.

Police said the arrest was the culmination of a month-long investigation carried out by the Harrison Police Department Detective Division with the assistance of the Nassau County Police Department Burglary Pattern Squad and Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

On January 28, the two suspects reportedly entered the town of Harrison in the evening hours and attempted to break into a Harrison residence by smashing a rear window of the home. The two men then fled in a car and returned to Queens, where they live, but within an hour of the attempted burglary, the two men were apprehended and taken into custody by the Harrison Police Department — with the help of the Nassau County Police Department

The men are believed to be members of the South American Theft Group (SATG). Law enforcement describes SATG as "a criminal enterprise consisting of highly skilled criminals, particularly from Chile and Colombia". Members of the SATG are known to enter the country illegally or by exploiting the tourist visa waiver program and when in the United States, carry out thefts all across the country, according to authorities.

In this case, one of the men was believed to have entered the country illegally, while the other was abusing the visa waiver program, detectives said. Both men are currently being held at the Westchester County Jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bail /$250,000 bond.