Twice-deported man sentenced for burglary ring targeting Asian homes in north DFW

[Source]

Sergio Cardenas-Salinas, 30, of Houston, was sentenced to 37 years in prison for orchestrating a string of burglaries targeting Asian families across Texas’ Collin County. A jury convicted Cardenas-Salinas of engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony, marking the first sentencing in a case involving eight other suspects.

  • How they targeted victims: Between July 16 and Sept. 5, 2023, a burglary ring led by Cardenas-Salinas carried out home invasions in Plano, Prosper and McKinney, targeting families of Asian, South Asian and Middle Eastern descent. Believing these residents stored cash and valuables at home, the group — composed of individuals from Honduras, Guatemala and Venezuela — stole gold, jewelry and large sums of money. Plano police cracked the operation, linking the suspects through vehicle tracking, phone records and surveillance footage. The nine-person crew, aged 19 to 30, was arrested on Sept. 5, 2023.

  • A repeat offender: Cardenas-Salinas, the oldest in the group and originally from Honduras, had already been deported twice for illegal entry and had served six months in state prison for attempted deadly conduct. “Cardenas-Salinas had no right to be in this county, let alone this country. This lengthy prison sentence sends a clear message: we will protect our community from those who come here to commit crimes,” Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a press release on Oct. 17. Cardenas-Salinas' sentencing sets the stage for future proceedings against the remaining eight suspects, though no further updates have been provided on their cases.

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