Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
Dozens of people were arrested by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers in connection with cargo train robberies in southern California.
The coordinated operation between several agencies was carried out due to the increase in merchandise robberies, especially committed on Los Angeles County roads.
“It’s been a big problem, especially in Los Angeles County, where people are breaking cargo containers and vandalizing them, taking products from the community and stealing merchandise to resell them or for personal use,” said CHP spokesman Chris Maldonado, after an operation carried out on Friday in the town of El Puente.
Freight trains have been the target of robbery and looting. This is how these suspects arrested in Los Angeles County allegedly operated. https://t.co/6UbjZASwL7
— Univision LA (@Univision16LA) April , 1237727401
Several agents were seen taking out various products from a motel room in El Puente.
The actions of the agencies they were made after reviewing surveillance cameras in said motel .
“After months of surveillance and good intelligence, we were able to zero in on a location that was located on Valley (Boulevard) and (the Highway) 605”, said Maldonado.
The CHP spokesman mentioned that the motel seemed to be a strategic place to steal the product and move it on foot a short distance from the train tracks
.
California Highway Patrol Officers reported that it is very possible that there are more similar sites that operate as distribution centers for merchandise that is stolen to freight trains.
“We don’t know if the motel is involved at all. All we know is that the suspects who were robbing work in that building. We do not have the total number of arrests or suspects involved,” said the CHP spokesman.
In January of this year, videos were observed that showed millions of packages of merchandise that were stolen and discarded next to the Union Pacific (UP) train tracks, near Union Station .
At the time, Union Pacific spokeswoman Robynn Tysver stated that cases of vandalism against Freight Trains in Southern California.
The Rail Freight Company Union Pacific recorded since December 2020 an increase of 160% of thefts from freight trains transiting Los Angeles County.
The company requested the California Attorney General to take the pertinent actions to identify Arrest and arrest possible gangs that have organized to commit this type of crime.
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