ORLANDO, FL— Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has filed charges against six individuals for their roles in an organized cargo theft operation. The defendants—Alayn Espinosa Lopez, Yerrison Perez, Yasser Mederos Garcia, Alexis Suarez Hernandez, Alejandro Valdes, and Arley Osmany Hernandez Relova—face charges of Grand Theft and Conspiracy to Commit Grand Theft.
The group is accused of being responsible for at least 32 cargo theft incidents and one vessel theft across Orange, Broward, Polk, Osceola, St. Lucie, and Volusia counties. These incidents resulted in an estimated loss of nearly $7.8 million.
According to the press release, the investigation began in May 2023 following reports of thefts from unattended commercial semi-trailers loaded with high-value cargo in the Orlando area and other locations. The stolen goods included retail merchandise, consumer electronics, copper wire, HVAC equipment, cooking oil and food products, energy drinks, wine and spirits, and other alcoholic beverages—all items that had entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce.
Investigators determined the defendants were part of a Major Theft Organization (MTO) that targeted parked semi-trailers in commercial areas, parking lots, and distribution corridors. After stealing the vehicles and cargo, members disabled GPS tracking devices to avoid detection and transported the stolen property to South Florida for resale to co-conspirators.
The Florida Highway Patrol Cargo Theft Unit reports that between May 2023 and March 2025, the MTO was responsible for the theft of approximately 51 commercial motor vehicles and 28 cargo shipments.
The case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Orlando Police Department, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution. All six defendants have been arrested and are currently in custody.
They face a combined maximum penalty of 300 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.
“This organized criminal operation targeted Florida’s supply chain and caused nearly $7.8 million in losses across our state,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “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.”
SOURCE: FLHSMV
