On February 11, 2025, a grand jury indicted Noe Cecena-Castro and ten others for possessing over $440,000 worth of stolen Nike shoes from a BNSF train in Northern Arizona. This incident is part of ongoing thefts from trains in Northern Arizona and California.
Criminal organizations involved in these thefts are mainly composed of Mexican citizens linked to the Mexican State of Sinaloa. They employ tactics such as cutting air hoses to control where trains stop, posing significant risks as trains can derail when traveling up to 70 miles per hour. Once stopped, crews break into selected containers to unload cargo alongside the tracks. A second crew then transports the goods to California for online sale.
The complaint tied to this indictment states that on January 13, 2025, Noe Cecena-Castro and his accomplices packed and transported about 1,900 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes after immobilizing a BNSF train in Perrin, Arizona. A BNSF police officer discovered several cases of Nike shoes beside the tracks shortly after the train's emergency stop. Law enforcement later found a U-Haul box truck and a Ford Econoline truck near the site with people loading Nike cases into the U-Haul. Both trucks were searched and contained 1,985 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes valued at over $440,000. A Chevy Tahoe was also intercepted carrying other members involved in loading the Nike cases.
Among the eleven defendants, nine are Mexican nationals without legal status in the United States. The grand jury additionally charged three defendants with Re-entry of Removed Alien and six with Improper Entry by Alien.
It is important to note that an indictment is an allegation and not evidence; individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury.
All defendants remain in federal custody awaiting trial and will be arraigned on February 19, 2025.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Flagstaff is leading the investigation while Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker Stanley is handling prosecution duties. The United States Attorney’s Office appreciates assistance from various law enforcement agencies including BNSF Police Team and several county sheriff's offices.