Special to the NEWS
Cameron County Sheriff’s Deputies recently quashed an alleged auto theft ring with supposed ties to a Mexican Cartel. The ring may have had its base of operations just outside the San Benito City Limits, according to the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Sheriff’s investigators continue to search for other suspects accused of involvement in the ring, according to Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño.
Andreina Gonzalez, 36; Benito Martin Loredo, 28; Enrique Rodriguez Hernandez, 22; Jesus Leonardo Cantu Dominguez, 21; and Miguel Angel Zarate, 19, were arrested in connection with recent vehicle thefts in the area, according to county arrest records.
Sheriff’s investigators collected evidence to obtain arrest warrants and search warrants for the suspects they suspected of coordinating, executing, and facilitating multiple vehicle thefts between January and August of 2025, according to a CCSO statement.
Approximately 140 vehicles were stolen throughout Cameron County between January and August, the Sheriff said during a press conference last month.
During that press conference, Treviño said Loredo allegedly led the auto theft ring, while his wife, Gonzalez, allegedly coordinated the thefts.
Treviño added that Hernandez, Dominguez, and Zarate were accomplices who would allegedly drive the stolen vehicles into Mexico.
Preliminary evidence indicated that the group randomly targeted newer model vehicles and pickup trucks using an electronic tool to bypass security systems before delivering the stolen cars to cartels in Mexico.
Sheriff’s investigators have recovered 20 stolen vehicles and returned them to their owners, along with the electronic devices used in the crime.
Four of the five suspects were booked at the Cameron County Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito, facing charges such as theft of a motor vehicle, theft of firearms, engaging in organized criminal activity, and tampering with physical evidence.
Gonzalez is known to have been released on bond. Additional charges are also pending as the investigation continues.
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