Not Jesse James: California cartel targets trains, trucks in Arizona cargo heists

No, it’s not American outlaws like Jesse James behind the recent string of train burglaries in Arizona — it’s the cartel, authorities say.

Arizona is seeing a dangerous trend in which a California crime network is targeting cargo in transit, according to Chief Deputy Jeff Newnum of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

“These are very organized criminal syndicates that are watching these loads and picking the right place and the right time to make these hits,” Newnum told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

The group most often targets trains carrying high-value merchandise, such as Nike shoes, leaving California.

How do the train burglaries work?

Newnum said the criminals know exactly where and when to make their move.

“There are certain areas on the train tracks where … the trains have to either stop there to permit other trains to go the opposite way, or to rest, and when they’re stopping in these certain areas, that’s where they’re being hit,” he explained.

This can be especially dangerous for workers who stumble upon the crimes as they’re happening.

“You’ll have the engineers of the trains and workers of the trains that will notice that something nefarious is happening … and they’ll go to inspect it, and they’ll see these cargo trucks — these white cargo-type van trucks will be there, and they’ll be offloading the cargo off these boxcars,” Newnum said.

Where is the California cartel burglarizing Arizona trains?

The train burglaries typically take place in remote areas, Newnum said.

While no one has been hurt during them so far, the cartel group has now been linked to a heist in April targeting a semitruck while the driver was taking a break in Ash Fork, Newnum said. Ash Fork is a community near Interstate 40, about 50 miles west of Flagstaff.

“Now, you have them doing it at a truck stop full of other trucks and other patrons. One of the suspects was actually getting gas at a pump and could care less that he was being videoed. So, very, very brazen, and that shows the level of concern and threat to the public,” Newnum said.

While Newnum said the sheriff’s office has been dealing with the issue for several years, this was the first case targeting a tractor-trailer.

He said law enforcement has had some success using aircraft to track and capture the thieves, but it can be difficult to determine exactly where they will strike — and trying to use them proactively can take away valuable resources from other operations.

Newnum is asking the public to call police if they see anything suspicious and not to engage with anyone they believe may be connected to the group.

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