Thieves have been targeting freight trains in California and Arizona, executing a series of daring heists that have resulted in the theft of nearly $2 million worth of Nike sneakers. Investigators report that since March, at least ten incidents have been linked to a group that stealthily boards slow-moving trains and cuts air brake hoses to force emergency stops in remote areas, such as the Mojave Desert.
The most recent theft occurred on January 13 in Perrin, Arizona, where thieves cut the air brake hose of a BNSF freight train and made off with 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nike sneakers valued at over $440,000. Among the stolen items were the highly anticipated Nigel Sylvester x Air Jordan 4s, which are not set to be released to the public until March 14. This incident is part of a broader trend where the release of new sneaker models appears to spur a spike in train burglaries.
Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk’s CargoNet, explained that the thieves often scout for high-value shipments along rail lines adjacent to Interstate 40. They board trains during slow movements, such as when trains change tracks, and look for containers secured with high-security locks. The thieves then cut these locks using power tools or bolt cutters.
Once they locate the desired merchandise, the thieves alert accomplices in follow vehicles that track the train’s movements. The stolen goods are typically tossed off the train during a stop, whether scheduled or due to sabotage, and later collected by waiting vehicles. This organized approach is often linked to transnational criminal groups, primarily comprised of individuals from Sinaloa, Mexico.
Industry estimates reveal that there were at least 65,000 cargo thefts on railroads last year, marking a 40% increase from the previous year. These thefts are classified as burglaries since they do not involve direct confrontation with victims, resulting in significant financial losses for major rail companies, which are believed to exceed $100 million annually.
BNSF Railway has stated that its internal police force collaborates with local law enforcement to address these thefts. The company instructs its train crews to report incidents rather than confront the thieves, who have become adept at evading detection due to the lengthy nature of freight trains.
Despite the arrest of a suspected ringleader, Felipe Arturo Avalos-Mejia, last June, the thefts have persisted. Avalos-Mejia allegedly orchestrated these train burglaries for over a decade, using scouts to identify targets and providing vehicles for the burglary crews. In a significant operation in June, law enforcement executed search warrants at multiple locations, resulting in 43 arrests and the recovery of approximately $3 million in stolen merchandise, including numerous boxes of Nike shoes.
The stolen sneakers are often transported to California for resale, frequently appearing on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. Both companies have stated their commitment to preventing the sale of stolen goods on their platforms and work closely with law enforcement to prosecute offenders.
As law enforcement continues to investigate these thefts, the connection between recent burglaries in Arizona and several incidents in California remains a focal point. The ongoing trend of organized train thefts highlights the challenges faced by rail companies and law enforcement in protecting valuable cargo from increasingly sophisticated criminal operations.