9 Mexican nationals face federal charges for alleged train burglary
A federal grand jury indicted 11 suspects, nine of whom were undocumented Mexican nationals, for allegedly burglarizing a train destined for California.
The heist happened on Jan. 13 in a remote area of northern Arizona after Noe Cecena-Castro and 10 other suspects allegedly cut an air hose on a BNSF train, forcing it to make an emergency stop. A BNSF police officer drove by the area shortly after the emergency stop and found several Nike shoe boxes at the side of the tracks, according to the Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors said several people were seen loading a U-Haul with Nike boxes.
Investigators later stopped a U-Haul box truck and a Ford Econoline truck spotted driving near the train. Officers stopped a Chevy Tahoe that was passing through the area and allegedly carrying the rest of the heist crew. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix said law enforcement found 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes worth over $440,000 in the suspects' trucks.
The grand jury also charged nine of the suspects of entering the country illegally. All of the suspects will be held in federal custody until the trial.
DOJ officials said that this is one of the latest cases involving train thefts in Northern Arizona and California. Prosecutors said that criminal organizations, normally consisting of Mexican citizens, typically with connections to Sinaloa, have used the technique of cutting air hoses on trains to force emergency stops. Once at the location of their choosing, the crews will break into particular containers and unload the contents into trucks.
With the cargo, the suspects' will drive to California to sell the goods online.
California law enforcement has arrested suspects in similar cases. Two cases originated in the remote Mojave Desert of Amboy, Calif., which is roughly 70 miles away from the Arizona border.
In November, the California Highway Patrol tracked a crew from the border to Anaheim after the seven suspects allegedly stole 1,279 Air Jordan 11 Retro Shoes that had an estimated value of $311,832.
More recently, on Jan. 15, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested two teens after they allegedly robbed a train near Amboy and led deputies on a pursuit. While the driver escaped after crashing into a berm, deputies recovered 218 cases of Nike brand products worth $408,000.
