San Bernardino County, California: Nine Suspects Linked to Sinaloa Cartel Arrested in Train Cargo Theft Case, Over $333,000 in Stolen Goods Recovered
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California — The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced on October 28 that its Rural Crime Task Force (RCTF) has arrested nine suspects connected to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel in an investigation into organized train cargo thefts, recovering more than $333,000 in stolen retail merchandise. The arrests were made on October 16 during a search of a residence in the 1200 block of East 35th Street in San Bernardino, and all nine suspects were booked into custody.
According to the Sheriff's Department, investigators have spent the past 12 months investigating an organized criminal network connected to the Sinaloa Cartel that has burglarized Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway trains, resulting in millions of dollars in stolen property. Investigators identified a coordinated operation involving numerous suspects and vehicles used to steal cargo from trains. On October 16, RCTF investigators, assisted by the Sheriff's Specialized Enforcement Division (SED), served a search warrant at the San Bernardino residence and arrested nine suspects from Sinaloa, Mexico.
The nine suspects, all residents of Mexico, are: Jose Navarrete, 24; Brian Iran Fontes-Carrillo, 27; Mauro Ruiz-Medina, 30; Pastor Pena-Lerma, 43; Alfredo Covarrubias-Navarrete, 24; Jose Alfredo Castillo-Baca, 24; Jose Ismael Palafox-Bernal, 18; Cesar Daniel Navarrete-Martinez, 31; and Cristian Erubiel Navarrete-Zapien, 23.
During the search, investigators recovered more than $333,000 worth of stolen retail merchandise, including JBL speakers, Logitech computer hardware, Victoria's Secret merchandise, Nike and New Balance shoes, and Husky tools. They also seized four semiautomatic handguns, a drone used for surveillance, a large amount of cash, tools used to access train cargo containers, fentanyl suspected to be possessed for sale, and four vehicles connected to recent train cargo burglaries.
The nine suspects were booked at the Central Detention Center on charges including conspiracy (California Penal Code Section 182(a)(1)), theft of railroad property (Penal Code Section 487h), and possession of a controlled substance while armed (Health and Safety Code Section 11370.1). The Sheriff's Department said investigators will continue working to identify and arrest additional suspects and recover stolen property. Anyone with information can contact the Sheriff's Department; callers wishing to remain anonymous should call or text "REPORT" to the We-Tip hotline at 844-909-3006. The case number is 522600100; the referring officers are Sgt. M. Rios and Det. J. Francis, at (760) 248-7655.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加州圣贝纳迪诺县 San Bernardino 市的圣贝纳迪诺县政府中心。Xnatedawgx 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The San Bernardino County Government Center in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California. Photo by Xnatedawgx, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
