Suspected Stolen Car, Truck And Cargo Ring Busted

MIAMI, FL — A suspected stolen car, truck and cargo ring that is believed to have been responsible for some $3 million to $4 million in thefts in Miami-Dade and other parts of Florida and Georgia, has been busted by authorities. Fourteen people were charged Monday with various offenses ranging from racketeering to grand theft. The investigation was dubbed "Operation Full Load."

Officials said the ring began to unravel when a truck driver made an appeal on Facebook for help finding a stolen Freightliner tractor and car carrier loaded with seven vehicles valued at $386,000. A good Samaritan spotted the rig on the Gratigny Expressway and called police as he followed along.

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"These individuals would sniff out parked cargo trailers in industrial parks. They hunted parked tractor trailers. They banded together to efficiently steal whatever they could," explained Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle in announcing the charges along with Miami-Dade Police Director Juan J. Perez.

Officials said that the ring was allegedly run by two men — Marcos Gonzalez Bernal and Alexis Simon Quintero — both of whom allegedly selected targets and directed a team of eight people to carry out the thefts.

The eight were identified as Alain Gonzalez Rosales, Pavel Garcia Cruz, Eleno Valdes Allende, Yosmel Suarez, Leandro Fuentes Fernandez, Yulieski Plasencia, Yurien Diaz Hidalgo and Orlando Perez.

Four other people — Ernesto Berrios, Lazaro Ramos Abreu, Raudel Rodriguez and Jorge Quintero — allegedly acted as fences to sell the stolen vehicles and cargo.

"These men were trying to get whatever they could lay their hands on," said Perez.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle by Paul Scicchitano