Ventura County Sheriff's detectives say their investigation into an organized crime ring in the region has led to the arrests of three people for making false documents, and government ID cards for the criminals.
Investigators have been tracking a group of Chilean nationals who have been committing identity theft and burglaries in Ventura County. They learned the criminals were using the counterfeit identification to stay in the United States, and to obtain housing and credit.
Detectives teamed up with U.S. Homeland Security officers to identify three Los Angeles area men they say were making the phony documents.
After a nearly four month long investigation, the three men were arrested. Investigators say they seized material used to make the counterfeit documents, as well as cash and weapons.
