Latest news with #OscarDavidBorrero-Manchola
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
LA police recover nearly $4M of stolen goods in massive bust — why crimes like this end up costing consumers
Authorities in Los Angeles recently uncovered a massive stolen-goods operation, recovering nearly $4 million in merchandise that was allegedly swiped by an organized theft crew. According to KTLA 5 Morning News, an 'extensive investigation' into two members of a South American crime ring steered detectives toward several storage unit facilities in San Fernando Valley. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) After serving these storage facilities with search warrants, detectives uncovered millions of dollars in stolen goods — including tequila, coffee, shoes and clothing, as well as bitcoin mining computers that are collectively worth roughly $2.7 million. The operation was led by the LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division, Cargo Theft Unit with support from the L.A. World Airport Police, Union Pacific Police Department and the L.A. Port Police. 'This case highlights the ongoing collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat cargo theft and protect the integrity of commercial transport operations,' officials stated in a press release published by KTLA 5 Morning News. 'The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.' The two alleged ringleaders of the South American organized theft operation — Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 25 — were reportedly arrested following the served search warrants. Martinez-Ramos was taken into custody on a no-bail warrant and remains behind bars, while Borrero-Manchola was charged with receiving stolen property but was released, according to police. This substantial bust reportedly comes on the heels of several other recent cargo thefts in the area. R & R Transport Services, a trucking company based in California, reportedly had trailers stolen from its lot three times in the month of April. The company was able to track down the stolen trailers and an arrest was made in one of the cases. Earlier this year, authorities recovered about $600,000 worth of container chassis that was stolen from the Port of Los Angeles. And while one man was arrested in connection to the theft, the investigation reportedly remains ongoing. And in 2023, the California Highway Patrol announced arrests of 40 suspects connected to a statewide cargo theft ring. The crew was reportedly responsible for stealing more than $150 million in goods, including $50 million in merchandise, 13 gold bars and $550,000 in cash, as well as 20 stolen cargo trailers and several firearms. Carge theft cases in the U.S. skyrocketed to nearly $455 million in losses in 2024, a whopping 27% increase from the previous year. Read more: Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Unfortunately, the ripple effects of organized retail and cargo theft often land squarely on the shoulders of consumers. As cargo theft removes millions of products from the supply chain, retailers are increasingly passing those losses along in the form of higher prices on everyday items. One of the factors that leads to this is increased insurance premiums. When retail companies are hit with cargo theft, insurance companies often increase the premiums for transporting and storing goods. In order to maintain profitability, said retail companies will then factor the added cost of insurance into their prices. Cargo theft also has the ability to disrupt the flow of goods, which can lead to delays and shortages of the products that were stolen. And, unfortunately, higher prices often follow as the lack of supply forces consumers to scramble for alternatives. The cost of recovery is also a factor that encourages retailers to pass their losses on to consumers. Cargo theft forces retailers to take on the financial burden of replacing the stolen items, which in turn increases their expenses. Stolen cargo also encourages retailers to boost their security measures, which adds to a retailer's operational costs and forces them to look to consumers to make up for this expense. But beyond the checkout line, cargo theft can also threaten local jobs. Retailers hit hardest by repeated losses may be forced to cut employee hours, downsize staff or shutter locations entirely. There's also the growing danger of fraud. Many of the stolen goods end up on unregulated resale websites, exposing consumers to fraudulent transactions, defective products or even counterfeit merchandise. According to the National Retail Federation, retail theft cost U.S. retailers about $112 billion in 2022. And as we just laid out, more crime at the warehouse level can eventually mean more pain at the checkout line for shoppers. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? 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Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nearly $4 Million in Stolen Cargo Recovered in LAPD Theft Bust
Detectives recovered $3.9 million in stolen cargo in Los Angeles, leading to the arrest of two men associated with a South American crime ring. Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 25, were taken into custody last week after various search warrants at storage unit facilities in the San Fernando Valley, according to police. More from Sourcing Journal JFK Airport's New $270M Cargo Hub Opens Amid Customs Clampdown Will Trump Tariffs Help or Hurt U.S. Garment Workers? Icon Denim Drops Organic Cotton Jeans Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Cargo Theft Unit (CTU), in collaboration with members of the Los Angeles Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department and Los Angeles World Airport Police, arrested the men involved in the theft. CTU detectives recovered over $1.2 million in stolen tequila, speakers, coffee, clothing, shoes, body wash and pet food in the bust. Additionally, the officials recovered a stolen shipment of bitcoin mining computers, valued at $2.7 million, from Los Angeles International Airport as the shipment was about to be loaded onto a plane headed to Hong Kong. Additional arrests may follow, the LAPD said in a statement. The cargo theft incident follows other recent thefts in the Los Angeles area. R & R Transport Services has been hit three times in two weeks this month, the Bloomington, Calif.-based trucking company told Los Angeles Fox TV affiliate KTTV, with thieves stealing trailers from their lot. The company's part-owners have been able to track down all the stolen trailers, with one case ending in an arrest. In February, law enforcement recovered $600,000 of stolen container chassis at the Port of Los Angeles, arresting one man in connection with numerous instances of theft. That investigation remains ongoing. And in the 12 months prior to that month, more than $2 million in Nike sneakers had been stolen across 10 train burglaries on BNSF Railway lines across California and Arizona. Cargo theft continues to roil the trucking and rail industries, with California being the top targeted state for cargo thieves, according to data from cargo theft prevention and recovery network Verisk CargoNet. Los Angeles County and neighboring San Bernardino County saw incidents soar 50 percent and 47 percent in 2024, respectively. But thefts like this are bound to go beyond the supply chain, and could end up costing the consumer. Cargo theft has gotten so pervasive across the country that one retailer isn't ruling out a price hike to make up for the lost goods. After enduring a 'dramatic increase' in cargo theft incidents over the past two years, Academy Sports + Outdoors chief supply chain officer Robert Howell expects the problem to further add to supply chain-related costs. 'Our costs are getting higher,' Howell told a Senate subcommittee hearing on cargo theft on Feb. 27, calling the problem 'relatively new.' 'I can't tell you exactly how much is going directly to pricing, but if this continues at the rate it's going, absolutely, those costs will have to be borne in future price increases,' Howell said. Cargo theft numbers vary from one company to another depending on the data, but all signs point to an increasing problem. According to supply chain risk prevention tech provider Overhaul, U.S. cargo theft is expected to rise to 2,705 confirmed incidents, up 22 percent from 2,217 events last year. Note, the confirmed totals far outpace the likely number for major theft events, which the company said surpassed 13,500 in 2024. On the rail, the Association of American Railroads said the incidence of these thefts surged by approximately 40 percent to reach 65,000 cases nationwide. Howell told the committee that Academy Sports + Outdoors has seen a similar increases. Howell shed light on another concern, saying that over the past year, the retailer has not recovered any stolen cargo. 'To the best of our knowledge, nobody's ever been apprehended or caught in any of the incidents we've been involved with,' Howell said. Howell cited that the increase over the last 18-to-24 months has come in four forms: load interception; identity theft; double brokering—when carriers or brokers subcontract loads illegally or inadvertently to fraudulent carriers who then intercept the goods; and cyber fraud. Academy most often experiences cargo theft in the form of identity theft or fraud. 'We had a shipment of private-label swimwear intercepted in transit in Nevada. The entire load was stolen, forcing us to reallocate swimsuits already in the Academy network to the intended destination of the shipment, our southern stores,' Howell said. 'It was shopping season for swimwear—this product was in demand and we knew if we didn't immediately reallocate merchandise we would lose those sales, and potentially, those customers, in the long-term. Apart from the cost of lost merchandise, this also resulted in additional transportation costs, shipment delays and possible customer impact.' At the February hearing, Howell, along with executives from BNSF, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and trucking and transportation company Tanager Logistics urged lawmakers to step up enforcement and create a supply chain fraud and theft task force.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Los Angeles police recover over $3.9M in stolen cargo
Two men have been arrested on suspicion they were part of a criminal enterprise to steal, move and sell stolen cargo in the Los Angeles area valued at over $3.9 million. Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Cargo Theft Unit partnered with the Los Angeles Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department and the Los Angeles World Airport Police to make the arrests, according to a news release Tuesday by the LAPD. Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 25, were arrested by detectives after a long investigation with various search warrants at storage unit facilities in the San Fernando Valley. The release stated that the two men are 'prominent members' of the South American Theft recovered over $1.2 million in stolen tequila, speakers, coffee, clothing, shoes, body wash and pet food. They also recovered a stolen shipment of bitcoin mining computers, valued at $2.7 million, from LAX airport as the shipment was about to be loaded onto a plane headed to Hong Kong. Photos published by LAPD show six storage units filled with boxes containing the stolen cargo. Both suspects were booked at the LAPD's Van Nuys Jail. Borrero-Manchola was arrested on a charge of receiving stolen property and was cited then released. Martinez-Ramos was arrested on a no-bail warrant. '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 stated. 'The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.'The post Los Angeles police recover over $3.9M in stolen cargo appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Bitcoin-mining computers, tequila and body wash among loot stolen by South American theft crew
Nearly $4 million in stolen cargo was recovered by police in a case involving a South American crime ring that looted coffee, tequila, shoes, body wash, pet food and bitcoin-mining computers. Police arrested Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 26, in the theft, sale and movement of stolen cargo, the Los Angeles Police Department announced in a news release. Roughly $1.2 million worth of stolen goods was found in storage unit facilities in the San Fernando Valley, where police found speakers, clothing and other items. Detectives were also able to intercept a shipment of stolen bitcoin-mining computers that was set to be loaded onto a plane bound for Hong Kong. The stolen computers were valued at $2.7 million, police said. The investigation included various search warrants and other detective work from the Los Angeles Police Department's cargo theft unit, which worked with the Los Angeles Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department and Los Angeles World Airport Police. Read more: Sophisticated 'burglary tourists' fly from South America to rob wealthy homes, LAPD says Borrero-Manchola was arrested April 15 and booked into a Van Nuys jail on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He was released on his own recognizance the following day, according to jail records. He's due to appear in court May 7. Martinez-Ramos was arrested Sunday on a no-bail warrant by Glendale police. He's in custody at Men's Central Jail and due to appear in court Thursday. The investigation remains active and more arrests could be announced, police said. South American theft groups, also called burglary tourists, have arrived in the country on tourist visas and then targeted wealthy enclaves across California in recent years, according to law enforcement. Four Colombian men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary in May 2024 after a high-speed pursuit. One of the suspects allegedly threw out a Wi-Fi jammer during the pursuit, an electronic device used to disrupt home security cameras. In February, seven Chileans were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after they allegedly broke in and stole valuables worth more than $2 million from the homes of professional athletes. 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.
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Bitcoin-mining computers, tequila and body wash among loot stolen by South American theft crew
Nearly $4 million in stolen cargo was recovered by police in a case involving a South American crime ring that looted coffee, tequila, shoes, body wash, pet food and bitcoin-mining computers. Police arrested Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 26, in the theft, sale and movement of stolen cargo, the Los Angeles Police Department announced in a news release. Roughly $1.2 million worth of stolen goods was found in storage unit facilities in the San Fernando Valley, where police found speakers, clothing and other items. Detectives were also able to intercept a shipment of stolen bitcoin-mining computers that was set to be loaded onto a plane bound for Hong Kong. The stolen computers were valued at $2.7 million, police said. The investigation included various search warrants and other detective work from the Los Angeles Police Department's cargo theft unit, which worked with the Los Angeles Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department and Los Angeles World Airport Police. Borrero-Manchola was arrested April 15 and booked into a Van Nuys jail on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He was released on his own recognizance the following day, according to jail records. He's due to appear in court May 7. Martinez-Ramos was arrested Sunday on a no-bail warrant by Glendale police. He's in custody at Men's Central Jail and due to appear in court Thursday. The investigation remains active and more arrests could be announced, police said. South American theft groups, also called burglary tourists, have arrived in the country on tourist visas and then targeted wealthy enclaves across California in recent years, according to law enforcement. Four Colombian men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary in May 2024 after a high-speed pursuit. One of the suspects allegedly threw out a Wi-Fi jammer during the pursuit, an electronic device used to disrupt home security cameras. In February, seven Chileans were charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property after they allegedly broke in and stole valuables worth more than $2 million from the homes of professional athletes.
