MERIWETHER COUNTY, Ga. - Two people have been sentenced for a series of car break-ins in Meriwether County and the sheriff warns there are likely more suspects at large.
Meriwether County Sheriff Chuck Smith says the investigation started on June 7, 2023, when deputies investigated vehicles being broken into near a hiking trail in a Georgia State Park in Warm Springs. Credit cards stolen from vehicles were used shortly after at a Walmart about 30 miles away in Columbus. Investigators tracked the purchases and identified the suspects, who were caught on security footage using the stolen cards to buy gift cards while disguised in masks and sunglasses.
"These fraudulent thefts totaled thousands of dollars," Sheriff Smith said.
Meriwether County authorities soon discovered that the suspects had been committing similar crimes across multiple states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and California. They targeted state parks, dog parks, and golf resorts, following the same pattern of using stolen credit cards to purchase gift cards.
Working with multiple other agencies, investigators tracked the suspects to a residence in Miami. On June 26, 2023, the Florida Highway Patrol stopped the rental vehicle the suspects were using on Interstate 10 in Lake City. The suspects were arrested and found in possession of stolen credit cards and other evidence. The two suspects, both Chilean nationals, had presented fake Argentine passports. They were later extradited to Meriwether County.
The suspects were identified as Sebastian Alendro Antilo Aguire, 32, and Vanessa Alejandra Velasquez-Cendegui, 36, both living illegally in Opa-locka, Florida. Aguire was sentenced to 15 years, with four years to serve, and Velasquez-Cendegui received 10-years probation. Both were convicted of charges including entering an automobile, financial transaction card theft, and violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Sheriff Smith says the investigation revealed the suspects were part of the South American Theft Group, an organized crime syndicate that had been committing similar crimes across the country.
"Our investigators worked tirelessly, coordinating with federal agencies, including the FBI, to bring down this criminal network," Smith said. "This syndicate had planned and targeted locations nationwide, and it just so happened that a state park in Meriwether County was one of them."
Smith added that additional members of the crime group remain at large, with one still wanted for a similar incident at the same state park in 2024.
The sheriff criticized the current state of U.S. border enforcement, attributing the local crimes to broader immigration issues. "Our community, and others like it, should not have to face the criminal actions of illegal aliens. It’s the responsibility of the federal government to secure our borders, but now that burden has shifted to local law enforcement," he said.
Both suspects remain in custody, with ICE detainers pending their release.