Florida crime ring busted: 6 charged in $7.8M semi-trailer theft scheme, Attorney General James Uthmeier says

ORLANDO, Fla. - Six people have been charged in connection to over 30 cargo theft incidents across Florida, which resulted in nearly $7.8 million lost so far, state authorities say. 

What we know:

The Office of the Statewide Prosecutor – under Attorney General James Uthmeier – filed charges on Feb. 12 against six individuals who they said are part of an organized cargo theft operation, in which nearly $7.8 million of high-value cargo was taken, Uthmeier said. The group is responsible for at least 32 cargo and vessel incidents, a news release said. 

The group has now been identified and dismantled, Uthmeier said in a press release. The defendants face a combined maximum penalty of 300 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, the attorney general's office said.  

Who are the suspects? 

The Attorney General's office 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. 

"What these guys did is they worked together in a coordinated fashion across the state – trying to span over jurisdictional line from Central Florida onto Broward in South Florida," Uthemeier said. 

The reported nearly $7.8 million stolen could grow as the investigation continues, Uthemeier said. 

Watch: Full press conference

What was stolen? 

Law enforcement began investigating a series of thefts from unattended commercial semi-trailers in May 2023 throughout the Orlando area and the state of Florida. Officials said high-valued cargo shipments, including retail merchandise, consumer electronics, copper wire, HVAC equipment, cooking oil and food products, energy drinks, wine and spirits, and other alcoholic beverages were taken. 

Investigators said the suspects were part of a Major Theft Organization (MTO) – who targeted semi-trailers in commercial areas, parking lots, and distribution corridors, a Feb. 12 press release said. The MTO would also disable GPS tracking devices to evade law enforcement and transport stolen property to South Florida to businesses known to deal with stolen property, Colonel Gary Howze of Florida Highway Patrol said. At times, the group would steal the complete trailer and truck end trailers, Howze said, emphasizing that these crimes were not single incidents, he said. 

"They targeted hard-working Floridians, disrupted commerce, impeded commodities that we depend on and, really, put livelihoods at risk," Howze said. 

Between May 2023 and March 2025, the group stole approximately 51 commercial motor vehicles and 28 cargo shipments, Uthmeier's office said. 

Where did the thefts occur? 

Authorities said the thefts occurred across Orange, Broward, Polk, Osceola, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties. 

What they're saying:

Uthmeier touted the inter-agency coordination and teamwork of the Florida Highway Patrol’s Cargo Theft Task Force, who worked closely with the Orlando Police Department, Orange County Sheriff, Ocoee Police Department, St. Cloud Police Department, Polk County Sheriff, St. Lucie County Sheriff, Miami-Dade Sheriff, and Daytona Beach Police Department in this investigation. 

"This operation demonstrates what’s possible when agencies work together to hold criminal organizations accountable," Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said in a released statement. "Organized cargo theft is not a victimless crime – it drives up 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."