Illegal Alien Crime Ring Busted for Stealing $400K in Semi-Truck Parts in Central Florida

An illegal alien crime ring was recently busted for stealing more than $400,000 in semi-truck parts in Central Florida.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging four members of a crime ring for stealing more than $400,000 worth of truck parts. According to a law enforcement investigation led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office’s Organized Crime Task Force, Geosvany Figueredo-Gonzalez, Brian Sanchez-Perez, Orlando Martinez-Dorta, and Liovel Urra-Penate committed dozens of burglaries of electronic control modules (ECMs) from Freightliner semi-trucks throughout Florida and Texas.

All four defendants face up to 832 years in prison and deportation.

“We have made it clear that crime doesn’t pay in Florida, and if you’re an illegal alien, we will work with the Trump administration to remove you from our country,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I’m grateful for the hard work by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in this case for uncovering this massive scheme. Our Statewide Prosecutors will ensure the only thing coming for these criminal aliens is a strong prison sentence and a flight back to where they came from.”

The investigation began in May 2025 after detectives with the HCSO Organized Crime Task Force noticed a pattern of thefts involving Electronic Control Modules (ECMs) from Freightliner semi-trucks parked in short-term storage lots. ECMs are considered the “brain” of a truck; without them, the vehicles are completely inoperable.

Detectives quickly suspected the thefts were part of a larger criminal enterprise, which was confirmed when the Lee County Sheriff’s Office provided critical leads.

With support from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, 25 search warrants and investigative subpoenas were obtained. Surveillance operations revealed that the suspects were based in Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County and carried out over $400,000 in ECM thefts. Additionally, their actions caused another $370,000 in damages by prying open engine compartments and cutting wiring harnesses to remove the ECMs.

With assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami-Dade Police Department, all four suspects were identified and arrested, ending their multi-jurisdictional crime spree.

“This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished when local and state agencies work as one,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “The support from Attorney General James Uthmeier and our statewide prosecutors was not just helpful but essential. Without their partnership, the scope and success of this investigation simply would not have been possible. Together, we didn’t just gather intelligence, we acted on it and delivered justice.”

Based on evidence collected during the investigation, law enforcement linked the defendants to ECM theft cases in Hillsborough County, Duval County, Lee County, and Polk County in Florida, as well as additional cases in Travis County and Williamson County in Texas. In total, the defendants stole $404,668 worth of ECMs, caused $372,000 in truck repairs, and stole from 93 truck owners.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged the defendants with violating the Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, along with dozens of counts of burglary of a conveyance, with an enhancement for traveling across county lines.

The defendants are currently awaiting trial; however, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed ICE detainers on three of the four defendants and will reexamine the fourth defendant’s permanent resident status upon conviction.