A group of illegal immigrants operating on behalf of a criminal Colombian transnational gang has been convicted in federal court for their roles in an intricate burglary ring targeting business owners in Oregon and Washington. US Attorney for Oregon Scott Bradford announced the convictions on Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said two accused Colombian nationals indicted in the criminal enterprise remain at large. The assailants have been identified as Jhon Alexander Quintero-Cadena, 25, and Jessen Quintero, 28, both of whom were unlawfully residing in the country.

Four of the “key” defendants recently pleaded guilty, while another involved illegal migrant has been removed from the country by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), officials said. The seven defendants, all of whom are Colombian illegal migrants, were indicted on conspiracy burglary charges.

The defendants broke into the homes of Asian business owners in Oregon and Washington, stole money, expensive jewelry, and other valuables, and then packaged the stolen goods for shipment and transportation to Colombia. According to court filings, the foreign gang members drove from state to state, secured short-term rentals, and located and monitored their burglary victims at their homes and businesses, which were Asian-owned restaurants or stores. 

“This was a highly organized and well-funded operation that used advanced surveillance techniques and methods to identify and exploit their victims,” said US Attorney Scott Bradford during a press conference. “The defendants monitored their victims, tracking their daily routines, and waiting for them to leave for work before breaking into their homes. They employed commercial-grade signal jammers, disabled WiFi systems, and used countersurveillance techniques to avoid detection by their victims and law enforcement.”

The investigation found that the defendants used seven-way calls on dedicated cellular devices to interact with one another throughout the thefts. One or more of the defendants would set up lookout perimeters around the victims’ homes, while others would approach wearing masks and pretending to deliver food. Once defendants felt their victims were not present in the home, one or more co-conspirators would illegally break into the home, resulting in the group ransacking the property for valuable items, according to court documents.

In October 2025, the FBI and Eugene Police Department executed a search of a short-term rental in Eugene, Oregon, and discovered stolen jewelry, property, a substantial amount of cash, as well as Colombian travel documents, shipping, and flight records.

The defendants carried out burglaries and secured short-term rentals in Auburn, Washington, Tumwater, Washington, Gresham, Oregon, and Eugene, Oregon, between September and October of 2025, court filings show. Federal authorities said this transnational crime ring is most prevalent on the West Coast, including California. 

“These robbery crews terrorized Asian owned businesses in our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson, warning that the bad actors are known for attempting to blend in by wearing delivery driver uniforms and/or pretending to be construction workers. “The FBI calls these groups South American theft groups, and we’ve seen an increase in these types of groups on the West Coast and also across the country.”

This joint federal and local law enforcement investigation remains ongoing. The FBI has urged any potential victims to come forward and to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.