$4M in stolen cargo recovered from South American theft crew in L.A.
Two prominent members of a South American theft crew were taken into and nearly $4 million worth of stolen cargo, including tequila and bitcoin mining computers, were recovered, law enforcement officials announced.
It's unclear exactly when Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 25, were taken into custody, but in a Los Angeles Police Department news release, officials said the arrests came after 'extensive investigation' into the two prominent members of the organized theft crew.
During the investigation, detectives served search warrants at various storage unit facilities in the San Fernando Valley.
Investigators recovered more than $1.2 million worth of stolen tequila, speakers, shoes, coffee, clothing, body wash and pet food.
Another $2.7 million in bitcoin mining computers, stolen from LAX as the shipment was about to be loaded onto a plane bound for Hong Kong, were also discovered.
L.A. police warn of jewelry thieves targeting elderly victims
Martinez-Ramos was arrested on a no-bail warrant and remains in custody. Borrero-Manchola was cited for receiving stolen property and later released, police said.
LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division, Cargo Theft Unit, ran the operation with support from L.A. Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department and the L.A. World Airport Police.
'This case highlights the ongoing collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat cargo theft and protect the integrity of commercial transport operations,' the release noted. 'The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.'
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-5920. Those wishing to remain anonymous call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
California sheriff says nearly a dozen deputies injured in anti-ICE riots
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna announced Friday that nearly a dozen deputies were injured during the ongoing riots. The riots began June 6 as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was conducting raids in the city and surrounding counties. Luna said 10 deputies were injured after protesters hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails and "high-grade pyrotechnics" at them. "We have been encountering some interesting weapons out there," Luna said. "[There is a] big difference between the peaceful protesters and the individuals who are coming out with weapons to attack our folks." The news conference focused on plans to address planned nationwide protests Saturday against the Trump administration. "It's a good cause, but we do not want violent agitators out there destroying property or committing acts of violence specifically against our police officers, deputy sheriffs and CHP [California Highway Patrol] officers," Luna said. "I just want to remind everybody that our deputies have and continue to face a dangerous situation out there." Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the LAPD is "fully prepared" for the upcoming planned demonstrations and "unprecedented" crowds. "We're closely monitoring developments and deploying our personnel and resources strategically to protect public safety while safeguarding every individual's right to protest peacefully," McDonnell said. "If you come to our city with the intent to commit crimes, damage property or harm others, including our officers, you will be arrested," he added. "We will not allow violence, vandalism or threats to public safety to undermine the rights of those who are demonstrating lawfully. We're asking everyone who plans to participate in Saturday's event to do so peacefully and respectfully." Since the onset of the protests, McDonnell said hundreds of people have been arrested. He added that a curfew, which will remain in effect through the weekend, "has played a key role in helping to restore order, particularly by curbing the criminal activity that was largely occurring during the evening hours." CHP troopers will be on active patrol throughout the state looking for areas of concern. There will also be a focus on protecting state infrastructure.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jurors acquit Crown Point woman in fatal crash on Taft, but convict on driving drunk with child
Jurors gave a split verdict on a dozen charges Thursday night for a Crown Point woman charged with driving drunk, striking and killing a man walking back from work release. Christian 'Megan' Garza, 30, was acquitted of four felonies, essentially for driving drunk, hitting and killing Andreas Ramos, 27, of Chicago, walking after midnight on Jan. 19, 2020, in the middle of Taft Street in Merrillville. He was walking back to the Lake County Community Corrections Kimbrough Work Release Center from his McDonald's shift. However, Garza was convicted of three felonies for driving drunk with her 4-year-old daughter in the vehicle. She was also convicted of three misdemeanors for drunk driving but acquitted of two misdemeanors for OWI while endangering a person. The jury deliberated for 2.5 hours. Her sentencing is July 30. Defense lawyer Susan Severtson said Friday there was a pretrial motion of limine – something lawyers can't tell the jury – that prevented prosecutors from saying Ramos was a work release inmate. That was a proper procedure since the law says someone's criminal past shouldn't be held against them in a trial, she said. All they knew was that he was from Chicago and walking back in the street, she said. In an earlier text message, Severtson said one of their expert witnesses, namely an accident reconstructionist, made the case for the jury that it was dark, Ramos was hard to see walking in the center lane and Garza had already started to slow down to 31 to 37 mph in the turn lane when she hit him. The speed limit was 45 mph. Any driver would have had under four seconds to react, she argued. Prosecutors argued her impairment likely affected her reaction time. Deputy Prosecutors Shannon Phillips and Jacob Brandewie said earlier in the week that Garza had been drinking at her toddler niece's birthday party on Jan. 18, 2020, in St. John. When her parents left, she loaded her own daughter into a car seat and left. As she was trying to turn on 91st Avenue from Taft Street in Merrillville to avoid the light at 93rd Avenue by the Lake County Government Center, she hit Ramos. She agreed to a blood draw, which showed she was over the legal limit. Garza testified Wednesday saying she hit something that 'looked like fur' – referring to part of Ramos' jacket – but didn't get out of the red Volkswagen until her dad showed up, claiming he had to tell her she hit a man. Ramos is survived by two children, according to his obituary. He was sentenced to two years of work release in December 2019 in a robbery case. Severtson and co-counsel Roy Dominguez said a bigger issue was why some Kimbrough inmates still walk down the turn lane on Taft Street after 'decades' — a thoroughfare that's only gotten busier over time. A solution would be to add sidewalks and more street lights, they said. Lake County Community Corrections Executive Director Kellie Bittorf told the Post-Tribune Tuesday that they try to dissuade people from walking. They put a Gary bus stop in front of Kimbrough. But the stops and schedules don't always line up. If approved, they allow some inmates to drive or family members to give rides to work. They also hand out safety vests. 'Without having sidewalks on Taft, it does make it challenging,' she said. mcolias@
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hancock Park murder leads police to arrest couple in Palmdale
Two Palmdale residents have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a man in what investigators believe involved a burglary in the Wilshire area, according to a release from the Los Angeles Police Department. On Wednesday afternoon, police responded to a call of a stabbing on the 100 block of North Rossmore Avenue in the Hancock Park neighborhood. They found Gary Nelson, 84, "suffering from severe lacerations," the release said. The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced Nelson dead at the scene, officials said. The suspects were identified as 41-year-old Rolando Guardado and 45-year-old Madeline Fresia Rivas, who are currently being held without bail, the release said. The two were found at a home in Palmdale and taken into custody by the FBI with help from LAPD Metropolitan Division SWAT. A weapon was also recovered, according to police. Officials said the motive was believed to be burglary-related but investigators did not elaborate. Guardado and Rivas have been booked on suspicion of murder. The case is pending charges by the Los Angeles County district attorney. It is unknown if the suspects had any connection with the victim, the release said. Detectives were continuing to investigate the case. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
