ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Six people are now facing grand-theft charges related to an organized cargo-theft operation for at least 32 cargo-theft incidents and a vessel theft across Orange, Osceola, Volusia, Broward, Polk and St. Lucie counties.
Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution filed charges against Alayn Espinosa Lopez, Yerrison Perez, Yasser Mederos Garcia, Alexis Suarez Hernandez, Alejandro Valdes and Arley Osmany Hernandez Relova for grand theft and conspiracy to commit grand theft. Uthmeier estimates losses from these crimes total nearly $7.8 million.
“This organized criminal operation targeted Florida’s supply chain and caused nearly $7.8 million in losses across our state,” Uthmeier said. “Thanks to the coordination between the Florida Highway Patrol, the Orlando Police Department, and our Office of Statewide Prosecution, this group was identified and dismantled. Now, they’ll answer for their crimes in court.”
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner emphasized the strength of law enforcement partnerships in the state.
“The Florida Highway Patrol will continue to work closely with the Attorney General’s Office and our local partners to ensure that organized theft rings are identified, dismantled, and held fully accountable under the law,” he said.
The investigation began in May 2023 after reports of thefts involving unattended commercial semi-trailers loaded with high-value cargo surfaced throughout the Orlando area and beyond. After this, the department connected with the state’s cargo theft task force and this led to a larger inter-agency investigation.
For this case, the Florida Highway Patrol’s Cargo Theft Task Force coordinated with the Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Ocoee Police Department, St. Cloud Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office, Miami Gardens Police Department, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department and Daytona Beach Police Department.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith highlighted the impact of organized cargo theft.
“This operation demonstrates what’s possible when agencies work together to hold criminal organizations accountable,” Smith said. “Organized cargo theft is not a victimless crime – it drives costs for businesses and consumers alike. The Orlando Police Department is proud of its detectives, who played a key role in initiating this investigation and is thankful for our partners at FHP and the Attorney General’s office of statewide prosecution.”
Investigators determined the defendants were part of a Major Theft Organization (MTO) targeting parked semi-trailers in commercial areas, parking lots and distribution corridors. After stealing vehicles and cargo, members of the MTO would disable GPS tracking devices to evade law enforcement, then transport the stolen property to South Florida for resale by co-conspirators.
The stolen shipments included retail merchandise, consumer electronics, copper wire, HVAC equipment, cooking oil and food products, energy drinks, wine and spirits, and other alcoholic beverages. All stolen goods had entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol Cargo Theft Unit, between May 2023 and March 2025, the MTO is responsible for stealing approximately 51 commercial motor vehicles and 28 cargo shipments.
All six defendants were arrested and are currently in custody to face a combined maximum penalty of 300 years in prison.
Uthmeir said this called this a prime example of the state’s commitment to catching criminals.
“The message out there to people is if you are going to commit crime, I mean, first of all, you shouldn’t do it anywhere, but you are an idiot if you want to commit crimes in the state of Florida. We are watching, we’re going to get you. It might take us a little while. We cross our T’s and dot our eyes. We do not hand out plea deals, and we prosecute to the fullest,” he said.
Uthmeier ended the news conference after mentioning his office was closely monitoring the case of Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, who’s accused of shooting and killing three tourists in Osceola County last month.
“We would like to see the death penalty pursued, which will take a grand jury finding. So we will be watching very closely in this case. We need to set an example,” Uthmeier said.
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