Five tourists from Mendoza, Argentina, were detained on November 30 at Miami's Dolphin Mall accused of theft and orchestrating a criminal plan, but they claim it was a confusion involving an alarm and luggage with purchases. After paying bail, they returned to Argentina and will face a hearing on January 29, 2026, remotely. The involved parties insist on their innocence and reject the accusations.
On November 30, 2025, five men from Mendoza were detained at the Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, Miami, during 'Operation Safe Holidays,' a police initiative to monitor commercial areas during the peak season. Officers, alerted to repeated thefts, observed the group moving with suitcases and engaging in maneuvers to evade controls, such as distracting staff and hiding merchandise without passing through checkouts. Police seized items valued at around 2,000 US dollars.
The accused, identified as Juan Pablo Rúa (45), Juan Manuel Zuloaga (49), Diego Luis Xiccato (46), Mauricio Ariel Aparo (49), and Sebastián Luis Moya (41), face charges for organized scheme to defraud, multiple thefts within 30 days, and petit theft, according to Judge Mindy Glazer of Florida's Circuit 11 Court. Bails were set between 4,000 and 4,500 dollars per person.
After detention, they were dressed in orange jumpsuits and transferred, but none speaks English, complicating communication. They presented purchase receipts, but mixed clothes in the suitcases caused confusion. They paid the bails and returned to Mendoza without migration issues, though with a report.
In a press conference in Mendoza, accompanied by lawyer Roberto Castillo, they denied the accusations. 'We didn't go to a mall to steal, we don't need to steal. We didn't plan a trip to the US to steal 10 items,' Rúa told TN. Zuloaga added: 'It was all very confusing, none of us speaks English.' Xiccato, a hairdresser, emphasized: 'We are workers, we didn't steal.' Aparo added: 'We want to clarify that we are innocent and clear our names'.
They do not plan to return to Miami and will be represented remotely by Nayib Hassan at the January 29, 2026, hearing, where facts and charges will be read. Police spokesperson Álvaro Zabaleta confirmed the operation. The US Embassy warned of visa risks from such incidents. The involved report impacts on their families and businesses, like difficulties for their children at school.
