Authorities Bust Multimillion Dollar LA-Area Cargo Theft Ring

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Authorities in Los Angeles County have cracked a storefront operation trafficking millions of dollars worth of goods allegedly stolen in train and cargo burglaries, officials announced on Aug. 20.

A total of $4.5 million in stolen property—including power tools, appliances, and electric bikes—was recovered on Aug. 14 and Aug. 19 when investigators searched two locations of DJ General Tool and Wire, located in Montebello and Huntington Park.

Several pricey brands were uncovered, including Dyson, Milwaukee, DeWalt, and Makita products. Many of the items were being sold at the stores and online, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

LAPD detectives worked with the Union Pacific Police Department and the Los Angeles Port Police during the operation.

Dojoon Park, 41, of Montebello, was arrested on Aug. 14 and booked at the LAPD’s Metropolitan Detention Center on suspicion of receiving stolen property, a felony.

Park was released the same day, in accordance with the county’s zero-bail policy. He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 8.

Neither DJ General Tool and Wire nor Park could be reached for comment.

“Organized cargo and retail theft strikes at the heart of our economy, impacting local businesses, workers, and everyday families,” said LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell. “This operation underscores our department’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks that profit from stolen goods.”

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives anticipate more arrests, the LAPD said.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s office is expected to file charges against Park. The office did not return a request for information about the charges.

“Cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” Hochman said in a statement. “It hurts businesses, damages the supply chain, and drives up costs for everyone.”

The Port of Los Angeles has been a hot spot for cargo crime in recent years. Authorities have reported a surge in thefts, driven by organized crime rings.

Cargo theft in the United States and Canada reached a record high of 3,625 incidents in 2024, up 27 percent from the previous year, according to CargoNet data reported by wholesale insurance broker Burns and Wilcox.

California’s cargo theft incidents rose by 33 percent last year from 2023, the data showed.

In April, the LAPD arrested two prominent members of a South American theft group after an extensive investigation into cargo theft in the Los Angeles area.

Detectives arrested Oscar David Borrero-Manchola, 41, and Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, 25, after investigators uncovered more than $1.2 million in stolen tequila, speakers, coffee, clothing, shoes, body wash, and pet food at storage facilities in the San Fernando Valley.

Authorities also recovered a stolen shipment of bitcoin mining computers valued at $2.7 million from Los Angeles International Airport. The computers were about to be loaded onto a plane headed to Hong Kong, the LAPD reported.