Police in Orange County Issue New Warning Over International Organized Theft Groups

Law enforcment in the Orange County town of New Windsor are again issuing notice to local residents about international organized theft groups. The notice also comes with information on how residents can avoid becoming these thieves next victims, and some information on the groups themselves.

New Windsor Police Warning on Theft Groups

The New Windsor Police Department issued this new notice during the early afternoon yesterday, February 11, 2026. It was posted to both the departments Facebook and Instagram pages.

The notice stated that New Windsor Police want to remind residents about these international organized theft groups, and to encourage local residents to take precautions against them. In addition the notice also states that the NWPD as well as other departments in the area, have been investigating multiple residential burglaries throughout the region.

These particular theft groups have been on the NWPD's radar for quiet some time, and the investigations have even led to NWPD working together with various other law enforcement agencies. During the Fall of 2024, the NWPD teamed up with law enforcement from New York City, New York State Police, the FBI, and Homeland Security, in an investigation tied to these theft groups. The investigation took approximately 3-months and then in February 2025, law enforcement made an arrest of an illegal citizen who was found to be in possession of thousands of dollars in U.S, and foreign currency, as well as multiple other valuable items.

Previous Stories: Alleged Suspect of International Theft Group Arrested in Joint Police Raid in NYC 

International Theft Group Information

The notice from the NWPD also came with some descriptive information on the theft groups. The notice states that these theft groups often are made up of individuals originally from regions and countries in South America. The suspect arrested in last February's joint operation was stated to be a Colombian citizen.

These groups also focus on residential homes and neighborhoods, and wait for opportunities when the homes are empty to strike. These thieves have prioritized items like high end jewelry, designer items, and cash, and have a preferred method of breaking in through usage of rear entrances on the targeted homes.

The theft groups also appear to follow their own order of operations in determining which homes they strike. They scout out their targets residence before making their move, and learn the daily patterns of their victims. This allows the thieves to know, or at least have a general time frame of when the homes are likely to be unoccupied and vulnerable. Thieves also often use out of state vehicle's with no license plates, or rental vehicles to conducting their canvassing and scouting.

New Windsor Police Precautionary Tips

With this information, the New Windsor Police Department also issued several tips for residents to help mitigate their chances of becoming the next victims of these theft groups.

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Some these tips are common sense things that many people already do on their own. The tips are as follows...

• If you see something, say something
• Consider installing surveillance cameras and/or an alarm system
• Do NOT leave large amounts of cash in your home
• Do NOT post on social media the times you are going on vacation
• Secure your valuables and keep all windows and doors locked.

The notice concluded with the NWPD encouraging residents who observe suspicious persons or vehicles in neighborhoods to contact them at 845-565-7000, or by dialing 911.