Nike Shoes Worth Millions have been Looted in Train Robberies in the Western Desert:
A gang of robbers targets a train in the Arizona desert, sneaking in, cutting the air duct, and forcing the locomotive to stop. Then they run away with the looted goods. Nike shoes, worth about $2 million, were stolen in at least 10 train robberies in California and Arizona over the past year. The case was initially reported by the Los Angeles Times and later verified by USA Today. More than 60 people have been charged in federal court in these robberies and other thefts that occurred in 2023 and 2024.
According to Keith Lewis, vice president of operations for CargoNet, a private company that provides supply-chain theft-related intelligence to law enforcement, the robberies work like a “human conveyor belt,” with goods dropped off trains onto the ground and then onto trucks.
“This stuff happens very fast, like lightning speed,” Lewis told The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. He says thieves prefer to commit robberies in remote areas so that they get enough time to escape.“In some areas you can only reach by helicopter, and in some places it is difficult to reach the rail tracks even with off-road vehicles.”
“We are committed to protecting our customers’ freight from pickup to delivery, and we implement safeguards to ensure these goods are delivered safely,” BNSF said in a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday. He also added, “We are working closely with federal, state, local, and tribal police departments to prevent criminal activity and apprehend criminals.”
Train Robbery: A Quick & Well-Planned Process
In affidavits filed in federal court and obtained by USA TODAY, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Brianna Cook reveals the pattern of the robberies.
According to Cook, robbers target containers that contain valuable items such as Nike shoes and electronics. Robbers usually board the staging areas before the train departs. As the train moves, they move from one container to another and open them with saws and Bolt Cutters.
When they find the goods worth stealing, they cut the air hoses of the braking system to stop the train, bringing the train to an “emergency stop.” According to Cook, once the train stops, the robbers send box trucks to unload the cargo and take it away. Lewis, who witnessed the process, said, “I watched them through binoculars.” “I couldn’t get there in time.”
January 10: $18,000 worth of shoes stolen in Southern California
Two suspects have been arrested for stealing $18,000 worth of merchandise in the Wonder Valley area of Southern California. According to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, BNSF police responded to the suspects after receiving information that they were carrying out a train robbery.
Police stopped a box truck and found the stolen items, valued at approximately $18,000.
Oscar Sosa, 28, and Jose Villalobos-Infante, 45, were arrested and charged with burglary, grand theft, and conspiracy.
January 13: $400,000 worth of Nike shoes stolen in Arizona
On January 13, police arrested 11 people in a train robbery in northern Arizona. According to court records obtained by USA TODAY, the theft occurred in a remote area of Williams, when the robbers cut the air duct of the train and brought it to an emergency stop. Then he took out the Nike shoe boxes.
A search of the trucks turned up 1,985 pairs of Nike shoes worth $440,000, according to court records. These shoes were new Air Jordan 4 models, which were created as part of a special collaboration. Conductors and engineers cannot face thieves because they are not armed. This incident shows that train robberies are increasing rapidly, and it has become challenging for law enforcement to stop them.
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January 15: Theft of $400,000 Nike shoes in California
Two days after the robbery in Arizona and five days later in San Bernardino County, robbers targeted another train in California. BNSF Railroad Police notified the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, and police observed a white van. The van failed to escape, and the two occupants fled on foot.
Two teenagers, whose names were not released, were arrested. Police seized 218 cases of Nike shoes worth $408,000. The incident points to a growing number of train robberies in California that law enforcement is increasingly finding difficult to combat.
“Kingpin” Felipe Avalos-Mejia Arrested: Key Role in Train Robbery Case
Felipe Avalos-Mejia is believed to be the ringleader of train robberies operating out of Phoenix and Los Angeles, according to federal court records. According to investigators, he used a network of scouts to select target trains for robbery and paid the thieves.
Police raided 11 of Avalos-Mejía’s homes and 16 storage units in June, seizing $3 million worth of merchandise and arresting 43 suspects. Avalos-Mejía was arrested on June 21 and police recovered $120,000 in cash and a ledger containing information on the stolen items and their sales.
Avalos-Mejia’s attorney declined a request for comment.
Nike Shoes Worth Millions have been looted in train robberies in the Western Desert
