Two Mexican nationals have been charged in a federal criminal complaint for allegedly stealing cargo from a freight train and reentering the United States illegally after deportation. The Justice Department announced that Jesus Omar Lopez Quintero, 34, and Juan Alonso Hernandez Enrique, 24, were charged with possession or receipt of goods stolen from interstate shipment, removing goods from customs custody and breaking seals, and illegal reentry into the United States following deportation.
During their initial court appearances in Los Angeles, a federal magistrate judge ordered both men detained until their arraignment scheduled for February 25. Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally stated, "This case demonstrates the threat that transnational criminal theft organizations pose to our nation’s commerce, as well as the danger posed to trains and their operators."
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department received a report on January 28 about a suspicious vehicle near train tracks in Barstow. Law enforcement found a white cargo van leaving the scene of an open shipping container on a stopped freight train. After attempting to evade police by driving into oncoming traffic, Quintero and Enrique fled into the desert but were apprehended.
Authorities discovered approximately 71 cases of Milwaukee Tools valued at $16,307 inside the van and another 13 cases worth $7,792 next to the train tracks. Quintero has been deported five times between 2013 and 2024 and was previously convicted of illegal entry three times. Enrique was deported twice in late 2022.
A criminal complaint is an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. If convicted on all charges, each man faces up to ten years for possession or receipt of stolen goods, ten years for removal of goods from customs custody and breaking seals, and two years for illegal reentry.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sophia Carrillo is prosecuting this case.