The thieves secretly board the eastbound freight train, hiding until they reach a lonely stretch of plateaus far from the Mojave Desert and the town. They screech to cut down on air brake hoses and to put long miles of rail cars in an emergency stop.
After that, they go shopping.
This is the trick that has been explained by investigators since March last year with strings of at least 10 robbers targeting BNSF trains in California and Arizona. Investigators say all but one resulted in the theft of Nike sneakers, bringing the total value close to $2 million.
The release of the new sneakers may have at least touched on some of the recent incidents. In Perrin, Arizona, the burglar reportedly cut an air brake hose on a BNSF freight train on January 13, disabling 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nike worth more than $440,000. Many are Nigel Silvester x Air Jordan 4S, which will not be available to the public until March 14th and are expected to retail for $225 per pair.
Theft crew usually reconnaissance high value goods on railway lines parallel to Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when changing trucks or opening containers. , Belisk’s Vice President of Cargo Net Operations and Mohababe’s Vice President of Arizona County, Sheriff’s Office.
Lewis said thieves can be appointed valuable Confederate cargo, working for warehouses and trucking companies. They were also simply looking for a container with a high security lock, and cutting it with a saw or bolt cutter that went back and forth, the special agent said in an affidavit filed in federal court.
Once the desired booty is found, the burglar warns him to “follow the vehicle” and tracks the train. After it is stopped, after it is stopped, the stolen item will be tossed off the train. Federal agent Brinna Cook said as the scheduled stop or air hose was cut or the control wires in the signal box were hampered.
The cargo is then loaded into a box truck and hidden by a nearby brush until it arrives. It is subject to the monitoring crew chasing the train not detecting law enforcement. These tactics are often adopted by multinational criminal groups made up primarily of Mexican citizens in Sinaloa, she said.
Industry estimates compiled by ASSN show that there were at least 65,000 rail freight thefts last year, up 40% from 2023. American railways. According to industry groups, theft is classified as a robbery to avoid direct involvement in the robbery and victims, and is therefore classified as not directly involved in the robbery, but more than $100 million for the nation’s largest railroad company. It is believed to be costly.
Lewis said those numbers could be short because the railroads have not made all thefts public. Details usually appear publicly only when an arrest is made and criminal charges are filed.
“Why do you want to put your dirty laundry on the street?” Lewis said. “If you show a trend of theft along the railway, everyone will know that there is a problem with the railway.”
In a statement, the BNSF said internal police are sharing information with local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors when necessary.
The company said the crew were instructed to report the incident instead of facing the burglars. However, the crew rarely encountered them. Because the trains are very long and thieves are careful to avoid detection.
In Lewis’ experience, theft tends to fade and flow, often tied to the release of desired new products. In December, investigators saw theft rash in which a smart vacuum cleaner was stolen from a train container, Lewis said.
During the robbery on January 13, the stolen case of Nykes thrown from the train was later picked up by a truck, the federal complaint said. County and state law enforcement officials were able to catch up with the vehicle with the help of tracking devices in several boxes. Eleven people have been arrested and charged with possession or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipments. The nine were found to be Mexican citizens of the United States, prosecutors said. Three were charged with illegal re-entry after removal, while six were charged with inappropriate break-entry. The five defendants pleaded not guilty. According to court dockets, the six have not yet entered the plea.
In another case, a BNSF train arrived at an emergency stop on November 20th near Huckbury, Arizona, according to a complaint filed in Phoenix Federal Court. Moharb County sheriff’s deputies stopped a white panel van seen outside the area and found around 180 pairs of the then-unreleased Air Jordan 11 retro legendary blue sneakers $41,400, the complaint says. The driver pleaded not guilty to possessing or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipments.
And on December 6th, investigators recovered Nike Dankro Midnight Navy sneakers worth $48,000, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Phoenix. did. Receive stolen goods from interstate shipments. The three pleaded not guilty, with one set pleading guilty to a change in judicial hearing, and the other has not yet been in the petition, according to the lawsuit’s Dockett.
Investigators also said they were worth $346,200, totaling $346,200 worth of the then unused Nike Air Jordans, following the robbery of two BNSF trains in April and June, according to documents filed in federal court in Phoenix. The total was collected.
Two other cases of BNSF freight train robbery near Kingman and Seligman, Arizona, last year, last year resulted in the theft of $612,000 worth of NIKE and eight arrests, according to federal criminal charges. In Kingman’s case, five defendants pleaded not guilty to accusations of possessing or receiving stolen goods from interstate shipments, according to the Dockett in the case. Details, including the Seligman case, have been filed under the seal.
Stolen goods are usually transported to California and sold or offered for sale online via third-party Amazon and eBay resellers, and Cook submits to some of these cases. It was stated in the affidavit that was made.
Amazon and eBay said in a statement that they have zero tolerance for criminal activity on the platform and are working with law enforcement to help prosecute people who sell stolen goods .
Court documents show that even if the theft was arrested last June, the authorities described it as the ringleader. According to a complaint filed in Phoenix federal court, Felipe Arturo Avalos-Mejia, known as Pollo, used scouts, supplying stolen vehicles and promoting the sale of paid goods It is said that it promoted the sale of stolen items.
Investigators said he lives in Los Angeles, which operates in both Los Angeles and Phoenix, and is believed to have been involved in the theft of BNSF trains for over 11 years.
On June 20, California’s local law enforcement agencies and the Homeland Security Agency ran search warrants on 11 homes and 16 storage units related to the ongoing train robbery, bringing 43 suspects to the 43 suspects. He was arrested and recovered approximately $3 million in goods believed to have been stolen from the storage unit. From BNSF trains, according to complaints. It is said that more items, including numerous boxes of stolen Nike shoes, were recovered from the home of a woman who said she had a romantic relationship with Avalos Mezia.
Avalos-Mejia initially circumvented the authorities, court documents say. Investigators recover from 74 stolen cases of Nykes, 108 packs of socks, 35 pairs of shoes worth around $94,659, and 10 stolen vehicles believed to be used on previous BNSF trains. He said he did.
Avalos-Mejia was taken into custody with another man at a restaurant in Huntington Park on June 21. He carried a Louis Vuitton bag with a detailed ledger with $120,000 in cash and a detailed ledger with Nike and other items stolen from BNSF trains. , according to the complaint.
Avalos-Mejia pleaded not guilty to owning or receiving goods stolen from interstate shipments, and his trial is scheduled to begin in June, the case said. His lawyer could not be contacted for comment.
Local law enforcement agencies are also involved in the train theft investigation. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies are considering a possible connection between the recent Arizona robbery and two robbers from Amboy in the desert ghost town.
First, on Jan. 10, BNSF police asked San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies to help respond to the robbery, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
On his way to the train line, lawmakers saw an unmarked box truck driving through Wonder Valley, an unincorporated community other than the palm of Twentynine. They carried out a traffic stop and found Nike shoes worth $18,000 stolen from the train, according to criminal charges.
Lawmakers arrested a 28-year-old resident of Phoenix’s Jose Villalobos Infante and Phoenix’s Jose Villalobos Infante and 45-year-old Apple Valley’s Oscar Sosa, 28, according to the complaint.
Villalobos-Infante and Sosa plead not guilty to a charge of second robbery, conspiracy and massive theft filed in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
Five days later, BNSF police again contacted the Sheriff’s Office and asked to respond to a freight train that had been robbed by multiple Amboy people, according to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office.
When deputies traveled to the scene, they tried to stop driving an unmarked white van in Wonder Valley, but it was kicked out and sparked a pursuit, the release said. Investigators said the van was stuck in Sandbaum and two residents fled. Deputies caught up with the help of a sheriff’s helicopter and arrested two boys, ages 16 and 17. Whether or not they were charged against the two teens.
The same night, the deputies saw another vehicle they believed to be related to the crime and broadcast the information through the dispatch system. The California Highway Patrol later stopped the vehicle in Landers, but the driver fled on foot and remained massive, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Investigators have recovered 218 Nike products worth $418,000, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Times researchers Carrie Schneider and Scott Wilson contributed to this report.
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