Eleven individuals are in federal custody following the theft of over $200,000 worth of Nike shoes from a BNSF train in northern Arizona. Federal authorities allege that the suspects, linked to a Sinaloa-based transnational criminal organization, targeted the train while it was in motion by sabotaging its braking system.
Authorities say it is the latest in a series of brazen thefts that have been taking place over the past two years in a vast stretch of land between California and Arizona.
Court documents filed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that the suspects use tools such as metal-cutting saws and bolt cutters to break into cargo containers believed to carry high-value goods like electronics, tools, and footwear. These operations frequently involve cutting air hoses that control the train's brakes and forcing an emergency stop, as Border Report explains.
HSI warns that such actions risk derailing trains, endangering the lives of railroad employees and the public.
In addition to tampering with brakes, the suspects have been known to disable train signal systems by breaking into signal boxes and damaging internal wiring. This creates "dark areas" on the rail network where trains traveling at high speeds lose vital safety signals, increasing the likelihood of collisions.
Once the train is halted, thieves unload goods into remote areas and notify cartel associates of the location using cell phones. Vehicles, including box trucks and trailers, typically follow the train to retrieve the stolen merchandise, which is later sold through retailers in California or on platforms like Amazon and eBay.
Last Monday BNSF police reported a severed air hose on a train near Perrin, Arizona. Suspicious activity led authorities to investigate a nearby box truck and identify two suspects during a traffic stop: Jaime Cota Peraza and Sadiel Martinez Soto. The truck, registered to Martinez, was later seen transporting crates tracked by authorities.
In a separate stop near Kingman, Arizona Department of Public Safety officers apprehended two men, Erik Portillo Valdez and Noe Cecena Castro, after they fled on foot. Authorities recovered 150 cases of Nike shoes valued at $202,500 from their vehicle. Another vehicle, a Chevrolet Tahoe pulling a trailer, was intercepted near Williams, Arizona, with additional stolen crates and several suspects inside.
Nine of the eleven suspects were found to be in the U.S. illegally, with six identifying themselves as natives of Sinaloa, Mexico. All individuals face charges of felony possession or receipt of stolen goods from interstate shipments. The investigation remains ongoing.
Originally published on Latin Times
