Florida deputies arrest dozens of illegal immigrants allegedly caught looting from Hurricane Milton victims

More than 100 people, including astatine slightest 41 forbidden immigrants, person been arrested successful Florida for allegedly looting and scamming victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton, section rule enforcement officials said.

Looting patrols successful Pinellas County complete nan past 3 weeks rounded up 45 suspects connected 68 charges that included equipped robbery, burglary, loitering and prowling, expansive theft, vandalism and trespassing, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

"They’re going into people's homes, they’re taking stuff, they’re rummaging done their things," Gualtieri said.

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Another 58 suspects were arrested successful an cognition allegedly targeting unlicensed contractors. Gualtieri said their scams mostly progressive billing victims a full of $250 cardinal for repairs they ne'er intended to do.

"This is nan epitome of group trying to utilization others erstwhile they’re down and erstwhile they’re out, and they’re trying to rebuild and they’ve sewage nothing," Gualtieri said.

During a property conference, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shared an update connected nan apprehension of dozens of forbidden immigrants who allegedly stole from and scammed Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene victims.  (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

Of nan 45 suspects arrested by anti-looting patrols crossed nan Pinellas County obstruction islands, astatine slightest 41 of nan suspects are forbidden immigrants, Gualtieri said astatine a property convention Thursday. He said astir each of nan suspects were from South America aliases Central America.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has arrested much than 100 group accused of taking advantage of victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office)

Suspects arrested successful nan contracting scams typically offered to do projects, including plumbing, roofing and electrical work, charging a full of much than $250 million.

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Gualtieri added that 1 fishy moreover had business cards to impersonate a morganatic contracting company.

"People offering to do activity connected their property, but, successful immoderate cases, person nary volition of doing nan work. In different cases, are unqualified to do nan activity and, successful each of these cases, are unlicensed to do nan work," Gualtieri said.

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A drone position shows destroyed formation houses aft Hurricane Milton made landfall successful Manasota Key, Fla., Oct. 11, 2024.  (Reuters/Ricardo Arduengo/File Photo)

The sheriff added that his agency had interaction pinch 196 different individuals who were successful formation neighborhoods wherever they did not belong, but that officers did not person probable origin to apprehension them. Of those, 163 were recovered to beryllium forbidden immigrants, he said.

"So, we made interaction pinch them and told them to get out," Gualtieri said. "We’ve ne'er seen thing of this magnitude before. We’ve ne'er seen this influx of group from retired of nan area that are intelligibly conscionable present to bargain and to pilfer and to do bad things and to target these susceptible people." 

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Gualtieri said astir each of those arrested during nan three-week cognition had extensive criminal records. 

"As nan Pinellas beaches recover, we are going to proceed these patrols and apprehension everyone we tin who is stealing from nan susceptible victims of 2 back-to-back storms that person devastated our community," Gualtieri said. 

Get nan latest updates connected nan ongoing separator situation from nan Fox News Digital migration hub.

Gualtieri said the sheriff's office will proceed to person dozens of other deputies operating nan obstruction islands time and nighttime to support group who don’t beryllium location disconnected nan islands.

"Our effort to protect nan organization has not stopped pinch these hurricanes’ nonstop impact. We are now focused connected protecting our residents and our businesses who are hopeless to rebuild and get connected pinch their lives."