The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department says its Rural Crime Task Force arrested nine men on Oct. 16, 2026, after serving a search warrant at a residence in the 1200 block of East 35th Street in San Bernardino, Calif. In a release issued Oct. 28, the department described the suspects as members of an organized criminal network “connected to the Sinaloa Cartel” that it alleges has burglarized BNSF Railway trains over the past 12 months, with losses the department put in the millions of dollars. The nine men, ages 18 to 43 and listed by the department as residents of Mexico, were booked on suspicion of conspiracy, theft of railroad property and possession of a controlled substance while armed.
According to the department, investigators recovered more than $333,000 in stolen retail merchandise, including JBL speakers, Logitech hardware, Victoria’s Secret products, Nike and New Balance shoes and Husky tools. Deputies also reported seizing four semiautomatic handguns, a surveillance drone, cash, tools used to open train cargo containers, suspected fentanyl and four vehicles the department linked to recent train burglaries. The department has not said how investigators established the alleged cartel connection. It says the investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible. The arrests are allegations, and no court outcome has been reported.
The case is one of several Southern California rail cargo investigations announced this month, including a Los Angeles Police Department recovery of about $1 million in BNSF cargo at a Chatsworth business announced Oct. 26. For shippers and logistics providers with intermodal freight moving through the region, the cases show that losses can occur while containers are on or moving by rail, not only at pickup or during over-the-road transit, and that stolen goods may later surface in resale channels.
Sources
- San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department release via Nixle: arrests in BNSF train burglary investigation (Oct. 28, 2026)
- Victor Valley News: Nine suspects linked to Sinaloa Cartel arrested in San Bernardino train cargo theft investigation (Oct. 28, 2026)
- FreightWaves: 9 alleged Mexican Cartel associates arrested in California train theft ring (Oct. 29, 2026)
- FreightWaves: Stolen shoes on eBay lead police to $1 million in missing BNSF train cargo (Oct. 28, 2026)
