Houston police arrested five men last week in connection with a home invasion, adding to an ongoing investigation into what authorities describe as a broader network of organized burglary activity across the region.

The suspects — Norvey Rodriguez Angulo, Elvin Lavon Caicedo, Elvin Caicedo, Eleuterio Castro, and Edward Lozano Tenorio — have each been charged with aggravated robbery.

According to court documents, the group allegedly pointed a gun at a juvenile during the incident.

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Investigators also tied the suspects to what they described as a transnational theft ring.

Authorities said they could not confirm whether the five men are connected to additional crimes beyond the reported home invasion.

However, sources told ABC13 that the suspects are believed to be part of a Colombian crime ring operating in the Houston area.

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The arrests follow earlier cases linked to the same network.

Earlier this month, three individuals were taken into custody in Fort Bend County in connection with similar activity.

Investigators said suspects connected to the ring targeted residents in a Fulshear neighborhood, conducting what law enforcement described as “pre-burglary surveillance,” a tactic associated with South American burglary groups.

Officials said the method involves monitoring both potential victims and law enforcement presence before carrying out break-ins.

The latest charges also come after a larger enforcement action last month, when Houston police announced the arrest of 20 individuals connected to what investigators described as a South American burglary ring.

Authorities said they recovered approximately $4 million in stolen property during that operation.

According to investigators, the ring is believed to be responsible for more than 60 home break-ins across the Houston area, including at least seven incidents in West University Place.

Law enforcement officials said the scale and coordination of the activity prompted a multi-agency response.

Eyewitness News reported that Houston Police Department’s Westside Crime Suppression Team arrested one of the alleged key figures in the network last month.

Chilean national Patricio Munoz and his wife, Tania Barra, were taken into custody on January 28.

Investigators said Munoz and Barra were responsible for funding and directing multiple break-ins.

Munoz had previously been charged and sentenced in Los Angeles in connection with the 2022 burglary of then-Congresswoman Karen Bass’ home.

Federal authorities have also connected the same Chilean burglary ring to similar crimes targeting the homes of professional athletes in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Kansas, according to investigators.

In Houston, authorities allege that Munoz supplied equipment to another group involved in the theft ring.

Investigators said he was selling signal-jamming devices to a separate Colombian burglary crew.

The devices are illegal under federal law and can interfere with wireless communication systems, including home security equipment.

West University Place police reported that a jamming device was recovered from Chilean burglary suspect Ignacio Castillo Contreras during a break-in last year.

“It’s sending out a really strong signal to overwhelm the signal of your security cameras, your alarm system, your cell phones,” Nigel Neilsen, who runs the IT firm Idealtek, said.

Following their arrests, Munoz and Barra were initially booked on charges of tampering with government records.

Court documents state that Munoz was found with a fake Mexican passport and a fraudulent car title, while Barra allegedly used a fake Argentinian identification to rent an apartment.

Days after those initial charges, Munoz was additionally charged in connection with an October 4 burglary at a home in the gated Royal Oaks neighborhood.

Investigators said he entered the residence by jumping a fence and breaking in through a window before prying open a safe and stealing four watches, each valued at thousands of dollars.

When officers searched the couple’s apartment, they reported finding watches, jewelry, and other high-value items.

Authorities also said pry bars and a jamming device were discovered in a child’s bedroom.

While the tampering charges against Munoz and Barra were later dropped, Munoz remains charged in the burglary case.

Barra is currently being held on a warrant out of Pennsylvania.

Officials said both individuals are also wanted by federal immigration authorities as the investigation into the wider burglary network continues.

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