Three men from Florida were arrested by the police and charged with allegedly stealing meat products worth millions of dollars.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office in Nebraska conducted investigations that took several months before making the arrests.
Authorities started the investigations on June 27 after the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office was informed by a report that unknown people had stolen several semi-trailers full of frozen beef in Nebraska. The report said the beef was worth an estimated $1 million.
During their investigation into the stolen semi-trailers, they were informed by federal officials from Omaha that there had been 45 other cases of theft of animal products across the Midwest, in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. In total, the thieves had gotten away with products worth about $9 million.
Police later found out that the trailers had been stolen by an organized crime syndicate that operated out of Miami, Florida, and it was targeting beef and pork companies in the Midwest.
On October 20, police arrested Yoslany Leyva Del Sol, 38, Ledier Machin Andino, 37, and Delvis L. Fuentes, 39, all from Miami, in connection with the meat-stealing criminal enterprise. According to Homeland Security Investigations, the three were charged with money laundering and transporting stolen goods.
Police also found three more trailers filled with animal products worth up to $550,000.
According to a statement released by ICE, the investigation, which is part of a Major Crimes Task Force between Homeland Security Investigations Omaha and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s office, is still ongoing.
