A 19-year-old Mexican national, Angel David Salas-Herrera, was arrested in connection with the attempted exportation of a stolen vehicle, which is believed to be linked to the Gulf Cartel. The arrest followed a high-speed pursuit with law enforcement that ended in Brownsville, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Last Friday, authorities in Cameron County spotted a stolen Jeep Gladiator from Edinburg, which led to a car chase that ended with the vehicle crashing near a residence. Salas-Herrera, the passenger, was arrested and is facing federal charges for exporting stolen vehicles, with a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted. Officers found multiple key fobs and a programming device inside the Gladiator. His arrest also led to the recovery of two other stolen vehicles, believed to be intended for transfer across the border to Mexico for cartel activities. Salas-Herrera is scheduled for an initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nadia S. Medrano, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The arrest is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Operation Cocina de Caldo, which involves the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, and Texas law enforcement to target illegal trafficking by criminal networks. The operation is part of the Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America, which focuses on combating illegal immigration and weakening cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr. and Sarina DiPiazza are prosecuting the case, with support from the Department of Justice’s resources, including operations like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Operation and Project Safe Neighborhoods, aimed at disrupting criminal activities such as theft and smuggling, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
