13 Charged in Scheme Sending Stolen Vehicles Across the Border to Mexican Cartels

Thirteen people face federal charges in an alleged cross-border scheme that supplied Mexican cartels with stolen cars and trucks, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

Prosecutors say the vehicles were taken from private owners and major rental car companies, then driven through El Paso, Texas, and into Mexico. Once there, they were allegedly used to support the daily operations of criminal organizations. The investigation, named Operation Southbound Takedown, has so far led to the recovery of 29 vehicles with an estimated combined value of $1.14 million.

Photos released by prosecutors show a damaged white SUV recovered in Mexico, along with an armored black SUV and an armored pickup truck.

Federal agents and prosecutors began looking into the case in the spring, after spotting a pattern of stolen vehicles being delivered to people allegedly tied to criminal groups in Mexico, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Ryan G. McRae, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, said the thefts point to something larger than ordinary auto crime. "These are not isolated property crimes," he said. He described an "alarming pattern" in which the stolen vehicles are used to support the day-to-day operations of dangerous criminal organizations.

Of the 13 defendants, 11 are U.S. citizens and two are Mexican citizens. One of the Mexican citizens holds a lawful permanent resident card, and the other has a border crossing card. Two of the Americans, Kimberly Aguilar and Marty Gerardo Jr., are in state custody. The remaining 11 were federally indicted and arrested between July 22 and Oct. 19.

All 13 are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and could face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted. Prosecutors noted that the charges are allegations and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons sent a warning to anyone tempted to move stolen vehicles into Mexico. He said cartels exploit people looking to make a "quick buck" to advance operations that include "human smuggling, extortion, drug trafficking and even murder." Noting that many of the cartels have been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, he added: "You are now on notice. If you provide support to these cartels.. by transporting stolen vehicles out of this country and into Mexico, we will find you, and we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law."

The investigation drew on Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and other federal, state and local agencies working through the Homeland Security Task Force. McRae said investigators also worked with private-sector partners to disrupt the alleged theft and transportation network, in an inquiry that spanned the United States and Mexico. "This work is ongoing; we're not stopping here," he said.

Coult W. Markovsky, acting special agent in charge of the FBI's El Paso office, issued his own message to those helping the cartels: "Justice will find you!"