Orange County DA Spitzer slams Mayorkas’ DHS for burglary tourism crisis: ‘This has to stop’

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer (R) slammed United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for the ongoing and worsening burglary tourism crisis, according to a recent press release from Spitzer’s office.

Southern California has been plagued with an uptick in burglary tourists exploiting the Electronic System for Travel Authorization System Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States without proper vetting. The waiver program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to enter the U.S. for up to 90 days at a time. Within 72 hours of submitting an application, the individuals are granted access.

'Mayorkas’ inaction is resulting in Americans continuing to be terrorized by criminals.'

To participate in the ESTA visa waiver, foreign countries are required to provide criminal background checks for their citizens. However, Chile, whose residents are eligible for the program, refuses to provide such information to the U.S. government, Spitzer noted. As a result, Chilean nationals, including some with criminal histories, are granted access to the U.S. without background checks.

Spitzer’s Friday press release noted that 350,000 Chilean nationals entered the U.S. through the waiver program in 2022.

Despite violating the ESTA requirements, the DHS has not removed Chile from the program.

Spitzer’s office noted that two Chilean nationals were recently “charged in connection with a head-on collision while driving the wrong way on the freeway while being pursued by law enforcement after burglarizing a San Juan Capistrano home.”

Jorge Navarretecorvalan, 32, and Alejandro Tobarfuentes, 32, allegedly crashed their Mini Cooper into a Toyota Camry on June 8. The press release noted that the two suspects, who were driving northbound in southbound lanes, “narrowly” missed an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy.

“Navarretecorvalan has been charged with one felony count of first-degree burglary, one felony count of evading a peace officer while driving opposite of traffic, one felony count of driving the wrong way on a divided highway causing injury or death, and one felony count of possession of a forged identification card. Tobarfuentes has been charged with one felony count of first-degree burglary, one felony count of possession of a forged identification card, and one misdemeanor count of possession of burglary tools,” Spitzer’s office wrote.

“Navarretecorvalan faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison while Tobarfuentes faces a maximum sentence of six years and eight months in state prison,” the press release added.

Before the head-on crash, the two suspects reportedly broke into a home and stole a safe containing designer handbags and jewelry.

The two men allegedly provided law enforcement with fake Venezuelan identification cards.

The press release noted that Spitzer has been calling on the DHS since May 2023 to close the ESTA loophole that continues to be exploited by foreign crime rings.

“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has the power to immediately and unilaterally suspend Chile from the ESTA visa waiver program until it complies with the requirement to provide criminal background checks for their citizens,” Spitzer stated. “Instead of holding Chile accountable and preventing a direct pipeline for organized crime to shuttle thieves into the United States, Secretary Mayorkas’ inaction is resulting in Americans continuing to be terrorized by criminals who are stalking them in their homes and waiting for the perfect moment to break their back sliders and steal their most prized possessions. With every pane of shattered glass, they are shattering another family’s sense of security and they are putting everyone on the road at risk as they will do anything and everything to escape from law enforcement. This has to stop — and it has to stop today.”

In April, the DHS told CNN that it is “deeply concerned with some individuals who travel to the United States and engage in criminal activity.” It claimed that the Chilean government has been “improving operational cooperation with DHS to prevent travel ... by known criminal actors.” Additionally, CNN reported that the department is speeding up biometric information sharing between the U.S. and Chile.

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