Criminal gangs from central and south America are taking advantage of lax US immigration laws to set up in cities across the nation and steal from hardworking citizens, a sheriff has warned.

Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said crime syndicates from “south of the border” have targeted high-end homes stealing “hundreds and hundreds of thousand of dollars” worth of belongings, CBS Detroit reports.

“These are transnational gangs that are involved in this that come from South America, looking to do burglaries and violate our communities, not just in Oakland County but across America,” Bouchard said.

The sheriff said the thieves have been identified as nationals from Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras.

The gangs have allegedly snuck across the border and purchased fake IDs to reside in the very cities they then hope to pillage.

“These people are going after jewelry, high-end purses and watches, currency and safes,” Bouchard said, noting the gangs target homes and survey them for days to find the perfect time to strike.

“They typically hit homes from 5 to 9 p.m., they seem to want houses where nobody’s home, and they usually come in through windows in the back,” the sheriff added.

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