Midwest
Michigan county plagued by 'burglary tourism' as foreign crime gangs abuse US visa waiver program
A Michigan sheriff is sounding the alarm on “burglary tourism” — a recent trend where international organized crime groups enter the U.S. to skillfully rob wealthy suburban homes.
“We believe that there has to be some kind of training camp because they come so well-trained, so equipped, and so knowledgeable about how to move and how to attack a home,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Wednesday told “FOX & Friends.”
“They do a lot of pre-op surveillance. They determine as best they can when someone won’t be in a home. They go very quickly to the home, they break a window. They go through it, not opening a door or window. They have an electronic jammer.”
‘RAM RAIDING’ AND ‘CRASH AND GRAB’ NEW VIOLENT BURGLARY TREND TARGETING BRICK-AND-MORTAR BUSINESSES
Bouchard said the gangs, mostly from Chile, are then able to quickly target home safes and small high-end items.
“They’re very focused on high-end jewelry, like watches, cash, high-end purses… things that are highly, valuable and disposable. And out they go and they move on. They usually hit a number of homes in our area, and then they move on to another part of the country, and then another crew will come in. And it’s been a cycle,” he said.
Bouchard urged the State Department to reevaluate Chile’s participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows tourists and business travelers to enter America for 90 days or less without having to obtain a visa or go through a thorough vetting process.
“All we’re asking is that the federal government either pause or discontinue Chile from that program. Now, that doesn’t mean they can’t come and visit from Chile. They just have to get a traditional visa with a higher level of scrutiny and background than what happens currently with the BWP,” he said, adding that Colombians entering the U.S. through the southern border are also contributing to the crimes.
Surveillance video shows thieves climbing an upstairs balcony and breaking into a California home through a sliding door. (Orange County District Attorney’s Office)
Similar crimes have been reported in California, New Jersey and New York.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has been warning about the issue since last summer, calling the Southern California burglaries “carefully calculated and planned.”
Spitzer filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for failing to respond to public records requests involving documentation on the issue. He has also called on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to use his powers to strike Chile from the program.
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The South American nation, which the State Department describes as a regional leader for the rule of law and economic stability, is the only Latin American country on the 41-country list.
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
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Wisconsin
Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards
Midwest
Terrifying moment caught on camera as road collapse suddenly swallows vehicles at busy intersection
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Dramatic video showed the moment a road collapsed below two unsuspecting motorists near the University of Nebraska-Omaha Tuesday, sending their vehicles feet below ground.
Footage taken by university security cameras appeared to show the two vehicles rolling up to an intersection, side-by-side, before a car pulled up behind them, seemingly triggering the collapse.
Emergency crews responded to the incident at 67th and Pacific streets at about 3:30 p.m., local outlet WOWT reported.
The collapse appeared to be triggered by a pickup truck behind the two cars. (UNO Public Safety/TMX)
The vehicles’ occupants had escaped the hole by the time authorities arrived.
“This caught everybody by surprise,” University of Nebraska-Omaha Public Safety Lt. Dan Martin told the outlet.
Dust could be seen as the vehicles fell into the pavement. (UNO Public Safety/TMX)
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No injuries were reported, though WOWT reported a water main broke during the collapse.
It is unclear what led to the collapse.
The outlet reported a heavy-duty tow truck with a crane retrieved the cars a few hours later, and crews worked to pull concrete from the crater.
It is unclear what led to the road collapse. (UNO Public Safety/TMX)
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Martin warned the sinkhole could expand, though it appears no additional sinkholes had been spotted as of Wednesday night.
Officials told WOWT the street will remain closed for “several days,” and motorists should avoid the area.
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Detroit, MI
Michigan State Police sends message to drivers after trooper involved in hit and run:
“Slow down and move over” is the message that Michigan State Police is sending to drivers after one of its troopers in a parked patrol car was struck while investigating a crash this weekend. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene.
Michigan State Police tells CBS News Detroit that we’re two months into the year, and it has had six incidents across the state where patrol cars were struck by oncoming vehicles. One of those incidents occurred on Sunday evening.
“Could have been much more tragic,” said MSP Lieutenant Rene Gonzalez, First District public information officer.
Gonzalez says on Sunday, an MSP trooper was near M-10 and Schaefer Highway in Detroit, simply doing his job, when his patrol car was hit from behind.
“Trooper was out there, and he was investigating a crash when, at the time, a Jeep SUV drove into the rear of the parked vehicle,” Gonzalez said.
The impact slid the trooper’s car into a concrete wall. The 29-year-old Detroit woman driving the Jeep SUV struck the center median, got out of the vehicle, and ran away.
“Not sure why they did it. Maybe not paying attention if they were distracted. They’re attempting to locate her at this time,” said Lt. Gonzalez.
The trooper walked away with minor injuries. Gonzalez says this incident is an example of why Michigan’s Move Over Law was put in place many years ago. The law, which went into effect in 2019, requires drivers to move over into the next lane and reduce their speed by at least 10 mph when emergency or service vehicles — police, fire, rescue, ambulance and road service — have their lights activated.
Drivers who are not able to move over are still required to reduce their speed.
“Trying to do our jobs, however, people are not paying attention. The law is easy. It’s simple. You see us, you see our lights activated, you have to slow down ten miles below the posted speed limit, and then if able, move over to the next occupied available lane,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez says crashes like this can be deadly and often avoided.
“One life lost over something that was a totally preventable crash, it’s way too much. We’re asking that you slow down and move over when you see our lights. It’s a simple message that we’ve been pushing out for years,” he said.
Sunday’s crash remains under investigation. Michigan State Police detectives are still working to track down the 29-year-old suspect.
In the meantime, police are out enforcing the Move Over Law.
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