Thirteen people are facing federal charges in El Paso, Texas, for allegedly transporting stolen vehicles from the United States into Mexico, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced at a press conference on Monday, Oct. 26, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
The investigation, named Operation Southbound Takedown, began in the spring of 2026 after federal agents and prosecutors noticed a trend of stolen privately owned vehicles and rental vehicles allegedly being transported to people belonging to criminal organizations in Mexico. Prosecutors allege that in many cases the vehicles were stolen from individual owners or major rental car companies across the southwestern United States, driven to El Paso and delivered across the border, where they were allegedly used to facilitate the daily business of Mexican cartels.
During the investigation, 29 vehicles valued at approximately $1,137,000 (yaani about $1.14 million, roughly 11 lakh dollars) have been recovered, the Justice Department said. Fox News, reporting the same announcement, said photos released by prosecutors showed a damaged white SUV recovered in Mexico as well as an armored black SUV and an armored pickup truck.
Source: Fox News
Kimberly Aguilar was indicted on March 25 and Marty Gerardo Jr. on July 22; both U.S. citizens are in state custody. Eleven more defendants were federally indicted and arrested between July 22 and Oct. 19 — nine U.S. citizens, including David Monarrez, Cesar David Diaz and Amy Foote, and two Mexican citizens, Pablo Frias, who held a legal permanent resident card, and Pilar Bernabeth Mendez Rivas, who held a border crossing card, prosecutors said. All 13 are charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
"To anyone considering transporting stolen vehicles into Mexico: do not do it," Simmons said, warning that the organizations soliciting drivers use them to expand operations that include human smuggling, extortion, drug trafficking and murder. "These are not isolated property crimes," said Ryan G. McRae, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso. The announcement was made with officials from HSI, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the El Paso Police Department, working together under the Homeland Security Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Johnston and Andres Ortega are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.