Scottsdale police have taken into custody seven individuals linked to a series of home burglaries in the Valley, which officials suspect are part of a broader operation known as the South American Theft Group (SATG). This group has allegedly been active across multiple states, including California, Oregon, and Washington. The recent apprehensions occurred on May 23, with suspected crimes occurring at two residences, one in Tempe and another in Mesa.

The crackdown began after the Burbank Police Department in California sounded an alert to Arizona's Scottsdale Police on May 20 that a group from Colombia, allegedly implicated in various burglaries, might soon be conducting similar crimes in their jurisdiction. Scottsdale Police were quick to set up and conduct surveillance operations on a short-term rental property in the Camelback and Miller Roads area, initially identified by visiting detectives. It was around 4:00 p.m. when SWAT teams moved in to decisively apprehend the suspects, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

Among the arrested are Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23; Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26; Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38; Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26; Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28; Lady Johanna Gueito, 32; and Angie Paola Hernandez-Manrique, 25. They were all booked into the Maricopa County Jail, held on a $150,000 cash-only bond. Officials recovered several items in the raid that they have linked to the break-ins, including a French Bulldog reported stolen in California. Scottsdale police are working to return all recovered stolen property to its rightful owners.