Two men believed to be in the United States illegally are accused of posing as federal immigration agents and threatening to deport Hispanic residents in the area unless they paid money, local prosecutors said.
Romanian-born Laurentiu Bacanu and Alexandre Vasile were charged with hate crimes and other robbery offenses after they allegedly approached Hispanic people, claiming to be Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and threatening to deport them if they did not hand over money, according to reports Wednesday. press release From the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
But prosecutors believe Bacanu and Vasile are themselves illegal immigrants, and local authorities also suspect them of being involved in other crimes around the country. (Related: Hundreds of migrants reportedly entered US through ISIS-linked networks)
“The two suspects, who are in the United States illegally and are believed to have ties to a Romanian organized crime group, are also charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and robbery in Contra Costa County and are suspected of committing similar crimes in Santa Clara County, as well as in Washington and New York,” prosecutors said.
TOP SHOT – Migrants who walked into the United States from Mexico in sweltering heat wait in line to be processed by Customs and Border Protection agents after arriving in Jacumba Hot Springs, California, on June 5, 2024. (Photo by Frederick J. Brown/AFP) (Photo by Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)
Local prosecutors said the pair wore fake police badges around their necks and spoke to their victims in Spanish, threatening to deport them if they did not pay the ransom. They targeted suspected illegal immigrants, including workers and street food vendors, who feared they would be deported.
An Anaheim police report confirmed that one of the men targeted Hispanic men because he believed “they had cash, were not smart, would not put up a fight and would be too scared to call the police because of their immigration status,” the district attorney said.
The arrests follow a major crackdown by local police on Romanian-related crimes. Orange County police in January Announced Around 50 suspects suspected of links to Romanian organized crime were arrested in a county-wide sweep, including one of Romania's most wanted men.
According to authorities, the rise in crime in Romania is mainly driven by the crisis on the southern border.
“Criminals with ties to Romanian organized crime continue to prey on the most vulnerable victims here in Orange County and across the nation, using our porous southern border as a direct route into the United States for the sole purpose of committing crimes,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.
“The Departments of State and Homeland Security are acutely aware of the significant risk posed to the United States by Romanian organized crime syndicates, yet President Biden is busy forgiving millions of dollars in student loan debt while continuing to ignore the most basic function of government: protecting public safety,” Spitzer continued.
ICE did not immediately confirm the immigration status of Bacanu and Vasile in response to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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