South American crew used signal jammers, blowtorches and disguises on California crime tour, feds say

They arrived in construction vests and surgical masks, armed with signal jammers, sledgehammers and blowtorches. The bank heist crew, made up of mainly Chilean nationals, hit multiple banks across California, according to federal prosecutors, and made off with $2.5 million.

In Fresno, the crew hit a Wells Fargo in May and used tools to get inside an ATM vault through an adjacent unit and made off with more than $80,000 in cash. The next month in Auburn, they scored $226,000 from a Golden 1 Credit Union branch and followed that up several days later by stealing money from two ATMs in Clovis estimated to have carried $150,000 to $200,000 each.

Members of a bank heist crew scouted out locations for their robberies and sprayed lenses of surveillance cameras with black paint.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

But earlier this month, 10 individuals believed to be part of the crew were charged in connection with the robberies. Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California charged Alex Moyano Morales, Maite Celis Silva, Erik Osorio Olivarez, Pablo Andres Valdez Rodriguez, Rosa Francisca Bastias Serra, Camilo Andres Sepulveda Guzman, John Doe 2, Bassil Alejandro Cacosta Frias, Camilo Alarcon Alarcon and Michelle Alondra Parada Mu?oz on Oct. 21. The charges were first reported by the East Bay Times.

The suspects were involved in scouting out locations, breaking into banks or other activities related to the robberies, according to prosecutors. Authorities point to more than a dozen robberies or attempted robberies from June 14 through Sept. 22, ranging from Long Beach to Yuba City. FBI agents say they believe the same ring is linked to a January robbery in Houston.

Many of the suspects in the case were previously arrested in California, Florida and Chile. One suspect is originally from Venezuela and multiple suspects have aliases, according to court records.

A confidential informant claims that Moyano is linked to several robberies in other states and that he is the leader of the group, referred to by the FBI as the South American Theft Group, according to court records. Moyano was arrested on March 13 in Glendale, where there was a warrant out for his arrest under his alias, Nicholas Hernandez.

FBI agents say they started their investigation into the bank heist crew in May and linked their signature tactics to several robberies across California. The crew dressed up in various worker outfits, scouted locations ahead of the robberies, forced their way into an adjoining business to a bank and used signal jammers to disable wireless security devices. They also used sledgehammers and blowtorches to get into the vaults.

Images of a crew of robbers that used tools to break into a Wells Fargo ATM vault in May 2024 and make off with more than $80,000 in cash. Ten people have been charged in connection with the robberies.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

An important break in the case came when three vehicles were linked to general locations of robberies in Fresno, Modesto, Roseville, Rocklin, Yuba City and Fall River Mills, according to court records.

A silver Chevrolet Suburban, a silver Audi SUV, and a white Ford Explorer were all present in or around the robberies or attempted robberies.

In September, the Chevrolet was pulled over in Simi Valley, but the driver was not linked to the crew. The vehicle was reported stolen by a Hertz rental company, but the driver claimed he rented the car from a club promoter known as “xtrackz.” Prosecutors did not provide the club promoter’s real name, but FBI agents interviewed him and learned the vehicle was rented to a man named “Gordito,” later revealed to be Moyano.

Moyano was unaware that the Chevrolet was equipped with an Apple AirTag tracking device. The vehicle’s location history coincided with Airbnb rentals on multiple robbery dates, according to court records.

On Sept. 18 the crew broke into a Wells Fargo in Fresno, where they made off with $247,000. They broke into the ATM vault by cutting through the wall of a pet spa next door, according to prosecutors. Surveillance footage of the suspects inside the pet spa before the robbery showed one suspect distracting an employee while another tested the durability of a wall. One of the suspects, wearing an upside-down LA hat, can be seen spray painting a surveillance camera outside the business with black paint.

The Airbnb was rented to Celis, who had also rented several other Airbnbs across California that matched the times and locations of several other ATM burglaries or attempted burglaries, according to court records.

Members of the bank heist crew scouted out locations and nearby businesses, often concealing their identities with surgical masks.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

Surveillance footage from the Airbnb rentals in Turlock and Mount Shasta showed the suspects moving into the rental units with hard-case toolboxes, tool bags and backpacks, which matched equipment that was seen at several of the robberies.

Federal investigators say that the vehicles connected to the group were also captured on license plate readers in Oregon and that there were at least two ATM robberies committed there around the same time. Federal agents received a search warrant for Instagram accounts belonging to Moyano, where they discovered he recorded a child shuffling large stacks of hundred-dollar bills and in another post was shown holding several stacks of cash.

In mid-October, federal agents tracked the white Audi to an Airbnb in Oregon. The suspects rented the location from Oct. 16 to 22. All three vehicles linked to the group were present at the rental location, according to surveillance footage. Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Dacosta and Alarcon were all present at the Airbnb.

The group became suspicious that police were closing in on them and they left in a hurry Oct. 18, court records show. The following day, investigators found robbery tools and tool cases inside the abandoned rental unit.

On the same day, the white Audi’s location data led federal investigators to an Airbnb in Seattle. Bastias and Sepulveda were pulled over and arrested. Valdez, Dacosta, Alarcon and another man tried to drive away in a silver Ford Fiesta, but they were also pulled over.

FBI agents surrounded the Seattle home and ordered everyone to come out. Parada and another woman came out and were arrested. It took three agents to get a mobile phone out of Parada’s hands while she was being arrested, according to an FBI affidavit.

Investigators received a search warrant for the Airbnb and found about $20,000, along with backpacks and clothing that matched what the group wore during their previous heists, according to court records.

Celis gave birth on Monday while in custody. She’s asked the court to allow her daughter to remain with her after she is discharged from the hospital.