In brief
- The LAPD has seized Bitcoin miners worth $2.7 million in a theft ring bust.
- Bitcoin miners, tequila, pet food, and coffee were among the stolen items.
- Two suspects tied to a South American crime ring were arrested.
Los Angeles Police Department Detectives recovered more than $3.9 million in stolen goods—including Bitcoin miners worth $2.7 million—after tracking a cargo theft ring to a San Pedro, CA warehouse.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Cargo Theft Unit detectives, working in conjunction with the Los Angeles Port Police, Union Pacific Police, and Airport Police, arrested 41-year-old Oscar David Borrero-Manchola and 25-year-old Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, who the department called “prominent members” of a South American crime ring linked to cargo theft operation in the Los Angeles area.
A Bitcoin miner is a specialized computer designed to solve complex mathematical problems that validate transactions on the Bitcoin network, earning cryptocurrency as a reward.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Decrypt.
In addition to the Bitcoin miners, detectives recovered $1.2 million worth of stolen items, including tequila, speakers, coffee, clothing, shoes, body wash, and pet food. The LAPD did not specify the destinations of the other stolen goods, but said the Bitcoin miners were in cargo containers bound for Hong Kong.
“This case highlights the ongoing collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat cargo theft and protect the integrity of commercial transport operations,” the LAPD said in a statement. “The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests may follow.”
Bitcoin miner thefts
The seizure is the latest in a series of recoveries by U.S. law enforcement agencies of stolen Bitcoin mining equipment.
Last summer, in July 2024, the LAPD arrested Bryan Thola on suspicion of possessing stolen Bitcoin miners worth $579,000. That same month, the Baton Rouge Police Department seized 250 stolen Bitcoin miners after raiding an abandoned warehouse in Louisiana.
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