LA Port Police Bust Multimillion-Dollar Trailer Theft Scheme

Allegedly stolen trailer chassis at a lot in Gardena, California (LA Port Police)

Trailer theft is commonplace in America, and homeowners and contractors go to great lengths to keep thieves away from their toy-haulers and cargo trailers. But the Port of LA's police department recently busted a much larger and more organized trailer theft scheme: the department uncovered a ring of local thieves who were making off with dozens of chassis from container terminals and reselling them as new, making off with millions of dollars in ill-gotten profits.

A joint investigation by the LA Police Department and the LA Port Police revealed the existence of a large-scale trailer theft ring that had likely been working in the Port of LA since last year. Authorities believe that the criminals accessed container terminals on port grounds; stole empty chassis that were stored and awaiting use; and relocated them to a storage yard in Gardena. There, the gang allegedly removed all the identifying marks from the chassis, repainted them, put new VIN numbers and markings on them, and resold them to unwitting buyers as new chassis.

In a raid on the 14500 block of South Avalon Boulevard in Gardena, 10 miles north of the Port of LA, police found 24 stolen chassis with a value of about $600,000. Given the scale of the scheme and the value of each chassis, the police believe that the theft ring was earning millions of dollars in revenue.

Gardena resident Denis Fuentes, 25, was arrested at the storage lot and now faces potential charges of receiving stolen property. The investigation is still under way, and additional arrests are expected soon; the port police are gathering information and are interested in receiving any relevant tips from the public.

“The Port of Los Angeles [is] the busiest port in the United States so stopping this theft was important for everyone involved,” said LA Port Police spokesperson Lt. Rosario Ferrara. “Our investigation into these activities continues to evolve, but we hope this arrest sends a message to other criminals targeting the Port complex.”