The Texas police arrested three Cubans, alleged members of a gang based in Houston accused of stealing cars worth over five million dollars at least in five airports across the United States.
The criminal network, identified by authorities as the Cuban Auto Theft Group (CATG), is believed to be composed of 14 additional suspects who have not yet been arrested, according to court documents cited by the independent outlet CaféFuerte.
The arrested individuals are Yoel Hernández Frómeta, 38 years old and the ringleader of the gang, José Antonio Pérez Rodríguez, 29, and Yainier Pinillo Toro, 30. They were held in the Tarrant County jail following their arrest in October.
The investigation is being conducted by local, state, and federal agencies from various states and began in February 2023, following a troubling rise in vehicle thefts at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in Texas. In that airport terminal, car thefts nearly doubled from 2021, which recorded 66 incidents, to 2022, which had 118.
The criminal network of Cubans is involved in the theft of 52 cars in the DFW area, resulting in an estimated loss of $4,938,771.
The gang also operated in airport terminals in Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, police said.
According to court reports, after stealing the cars, the suspects altered their identification numbers and illegally retitled them before selling them to buyers in the United States or smuggling them out of the country across the border with Mexico for sale there.
The Tarrant jail records reveal that the three detained Cubans are facing charges of involvement in organized crime, theft of property valued at or equivalent to $300,000, and illegal use or possession of criminal instruments for the purpose of committing theft.
Hernández, the leader of the network, had been detained without the right to bail. However, after his attorney requested bail, arguing that his client does not pose a danger to society and will attend all scheduled court hearings, the judge set bail at $300,000. The other two arrested individuals do not have bail set.
In September 2023, officials in Dallas-Fort Worth received an alert from a license plate reader regarding a suspicious vehicle suspected of being stolen, a red Audi, while it was at Terminal D after entering the airport. On the same day, two Cadillacs had been stolen, with a loss valued at $196,000.
Three days later, agents intercepted the Audi during a traffic stop for driving with an uninsured temporary license plate.
In the vehicle were the three Cubans, who were in possession of items for car theft, namely, an Autel key programming device, a Bluetooth communication interface for vehicles, a laptop, tools for unlocking cars, two sets of screwdrivers, a knife, pliers, data cables for the devices, and 14 key fobs, according to information from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The police confirmed that Hernández was at DFW Airport and other terminals where vehicles were stolen from the parking lots at least eight times between July 11 and October 8, 2023; he was also captured by surveillance cameras leaving an airport at the same time as the stolen vehicles.
Meanwhile, Pinillo was at DFW on September 24 and 29, dates when two vehicles were stolen, resulting in a loss of $193,294.
According to police records, during the investigation, Hernández and Pérez were arrested in other states and in the city of Houston for being involved in other car thefts.
The court orders also state that Hernández has an extensive criminal record, which includes three arrests for participating in organized criminal activities in 2024, five charges for the illegal use of a criminal instrument in 2024, and three charges of theft between 2022 and 2024.
The authorities specified that the arrests involving the three accused since 2023 were made due to suspicions of thefts at the municipal airport in Las Vegas and in Phoenix, Nevada; in Salt Lake City, Utah; and in Harris County, Texas.
A spokesperson for Dallas-Fort Worth stated in a press release that “while there is an ongoing investigation and an indictment pending, investigators from the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety remain in close contact with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and dismantle organized crime networks targeting parking facilities at airports across the country.”
"Thanks to the efforts of the DFW airport police, there has been a reduction of more than 40 percent in vehicle thefts in the terminal areas compared to 2023," he stated.
Vehicle theft in the U.S. reached a historic high in 2023, with 1,020,729 incidents, according to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) cited by CaféFuerte.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cuban Band Accused of Auto Theft in the U.S.
Who are the individuals detained for their involvement in a criminal gang accused of car theft?
The detained individuals are Yoel Hernández Frómeta, the leader of the gang, along with José Antonio Pérez Rodríguez and Yainier Pinillo Toro. They were arrested and incarcerated in the Tarrant County jail, Texas.
The criminal network, identified by authorities as the Cuban Auto Theft Group (CATG), is believed to consist of 14 other suspects who have not yet been apprehended.
How did the car theft gang operate?
The gang stole cars from at least five airports in the United States, altered their identification numbers, and illegally re-titled them. They then sold the vehicles within the U.S. or smuggled them across the border into Mexico for resale there.
What is the economic impact of the car thefts committed by the gang?
At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the gang is involved in the theft of 52 vehicles, resulting in an estimated loss of $4,938,771.
What charges are the three detainees facing?
They are facing charges for involvement in organized crime, theft of property valued at $300,000 or more, and the illegal use or possession of criminal instruments.
What measures are the authorities taking to prevent these robberies?
Local, state, and federal agencies from various U.S. states, along with airport authorities, are working to identify and dismantle the organized crime networks involved in vehicle theft at airports.
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