Duo arrested in Phoenix vehicle theft ring tied to Mexico

Police arrested two men accused of running a vehicle theft operation that funneled dozens of stolen cars from Phoenix to Mexico, authorities said Wednesday.

Bruno Gael Rivera, 21, and Ramses Rivera, 19, were taken into custody Wednesday following coordinated operations in Nogales and Rio Rico after search warrants were served, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Investigators linked 71 stolen vehicles to a corridor along Washington Street between 37th and 44th streets over a yearlong span from July 2025 to June 2026.

A tip in March pointed police to an organized effort to steal vehicles and transport them to Mexico, prompting a joint investigation with the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Vehicle Theft Task Force.

Car thefts started spiking in November 2025, and many of the vehicles were tracked to Nogales, Phoenix police said.

Both suspects were booked into the Maricopa County jail on multiple counts of felony theft of means of transportation.

Bruno Gael Rivera faces 10 counts and is being held on $10,500 bond.

Ramses Rivera faces one count and is being held without bond on a separate warrant.

The two could face further charges as the case develops, police said.

Both are scheduled to appear in court July 15.

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