According to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC), the suspects — Kristians Petroviskis, Romunds Cubrevics, and Nurmunds Ulevicus — all Latvian nationals, are accused of stealing and tampering with thousands of gift cards as part of a $14 million operation.
Fox Austin reported that the men were apprehended following an investigation by FCIC officers. Investigators said the trio admitted to stealing cards from around 10 retail stores each day since May, working seven days a week.
The suspects allegedly removed the packaging and scratched off the protective film on the back of the cards to access and record the serial numbers.
FCIC Director Adam Colby explained that the stolen card information was entered into specialized software that monitored when the cards were activated.
Once a legitimate customer loaded funds onto one of the compromised cards, the suspects could instantly transfer the money to other cards, cashing out or purchasing expensive goods.
After recording the data, the men reportedly reassembled the cards to look new and placed them back on store shelves, making it difficult for retailers and shoppers to detect tampering.
Authorities said more than 400 gift cards were found in the possession of the suspects when they were arrested in Texas.
The men are facing first-degree charges for fraudulent possession of gift cards. Colby also confirmed that all three were in the United States illegally. The FCIC noted that the group targeted retailers in several Texas cities, including Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.
Fox News Digital reached out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for further comment.