They arrived wearing construction vests and surgical masks, armed with signal jammers, sledgehammers and blowtorches. The bank robbery crew, made up mostly of Chilean nationals, hit several banks across California, according to federal prosecutors, and made off with $2.5 million.

In Fresno, the crew hit a Wells Fargo in May and used tools to break into an ATM safe through an adjacent unit and made off with more than $80,000 in cash. The next month in Auburn, they won $226,000 at a Golden 1 Credit Union branch and followed up several days later by stealing money from two Clovis ATMs, estimated at $150,000 to $200,000 each. .

Members of a bank robbery team scouted the locations of their robberies and sprayed surveillance camera lenses with black paint.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

But earlier this month, 10 people from the crew were charged in connection with the flights. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California charged Alex Moyano Morales, Maite Celis Silva, Erik Osorio Olivarez, Pablo Andres Valdez Rodriguez, Rosa Francisca Bastias Serra, Camilo Andres Sepulveda Guzman, John Doe 2, Bassil Alejandro Cacosta Frias, Camilo Alarcon Alarcon and Michelle Alondra Parada Muñoz on October 21. The accusations were first reported by the East Bay Times.

The suspects were involved in location searches, bank break-ins or other theft-related activities, according to prosecutors. Authorities are reporting more than a dozen thefts or attempted thefts between June 14 and Sept. 22, from Long Beach to Yuba City. FBI agents believe the same network is linked to a January robbery in Houston.

Many suspects in this case have already been arrested in California, Florida and Chile. One suspect is from Venezuela and several suspects have aliases, according to court records.

A confidential informant claims Moyano is linked to several thefts in other states and is the leader of the group, referred to by the FBI as the South American Theft Group, according to court records. Moyano was arrested March 13 in Glendale where an arrest warrant had been issued for his alias, Nicholas Hernandez.

FBI agents say they began their investigation into the bank robbery crew in May and linked their signature tactics to several robberies across California. The crew dressed in various work outfits, scouted locations before the robberies, forced their way into a business next to a bank, and used signal jammers to disable wireless security devices . They also used sledgehammers and blowtorches to break into the vaults.

Footage of a team of thieves who used tools to break into the safe of a Wells Fargo ATM in May 2024 and make off with more than $80,000 in cash. Ten people have been charged in connection with these thefts.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

A major break in the case occurred when three vehicles were linked to general locations of thefts in Fresno, Modesto, Roseville, Rocklin, Yuba City and Fall River Mills, according to court records.

A silver Chevrolet Suburban, a silver Audi SUV and a white Ford Explorer were all present in or near the thefts or attempted thefts.

In September, the Chevrolet was stopped in Simi Valley, but the driver had no connection to the crew. The vehicle was reported stolen by a Hertz rental company, but the driver claimed to have rented the car from a club promoter known as “xtrackz.” Prosecutors did not provide the club promoter’s real name, but FBI agents interviewed him and learned the vehicle had been rented to a man named “Gordito,” who was later revealed to be Moyano .

Moyano did not know the Chevrolet was equipped with an Apple AirTag tracking device. The vehicle’s location history matched Airbnb rentals on multiple theft dates, according to court records.

On September 18, the crew broke into a Wells Fargo in Fresno where they took $247,000. They broke into the ATM safe by cutting through the wall of a nearby pet spa, prosecutors say. Surveillance footage of the suspects inside the pet spa before the robbery showed one suspect distracting an employee while another tested the durability of a wall. One of the suspects, wearing a backwards Los Angeles hat, can be seen painting a surveillance camera outside the business with black paint.

The Airbnb was rented to Celis, who had also rented several other Airbnbs across California that matched the times and locations of several other ATM burglaries or attempted burglaries, according to court records.

Members of the bank robbery team scouted nearby locations and businesses, often hiding their identities with surgical masks.

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

Surveillance footage from Airbnb rentals in Turlock and Mount Shasta showed the suspects moving into the rental units with hard-shell toolboxes, tool bags and backpacks, which matched equipment seen in several robberies.

Federal investigators say vehicles linked to the group were also caught by license plate readers in Oregon and at least two ATM thefts occurred there around the same time. Federal agents received a search warrant for Instagram accounts belonging to Moyano, where they discovered he had recorded a child shuffling large stacks of hundred-dollar bills and, in another post, he was shown holding multiple stacks cash.

In mid-October, federal agents tracked the white Audi to an Airbnb in Oregon. The suspects rented the premises from October 16 to 22. All three cars linked to the group were present at the rental location, according to surveillance footage. Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Dacosta and Alarcon were all present at the Airbnb.

The group began to suspect that police were closing in on them and they left in a hurry on Oct. 18, according to court records. The next day, investigators found theft tools and tool boxes inside the abandoned rental unit.

That same day, the white Audi’s location data led federal investigators to an Airbnb in Seattle. Bastias and Sepulveda were arrested. Valdez, Dacosta, Alarcon and another man tried to flee in a silver Ford Fiesta, but they were also arrested.

FBI agents surrounded the Seattle home and ordered everyone out. Parada and another woman came out and were arrested. It took three officers to remove a cell phone from Parada’s hands during his arrest, according to an FBI affidavit.

Investigators received a search warrant for Airbnb and found about $20,000, as well as backpacks and clothing matching what the group wore during their previous heists, according to court records.

Celis gave birth Monday while in police custody. She asked the court to allow her daughter to stay with her after she is released from the hospital.