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A man has been arrested for stealing pick-up trucks in McAllen and taking them to Mexico where at least one was later recovered in Reynosa with ballistic glass and armor plating.
The FBI arrested Eric Roberto Garza, a U.S. citizen born in 1992, on charges of transporting stolen vehicles in interstate commerce and aiding and abetting on Nov. 1.
The complaint against Garza was filed on Oct. 26 and unsealed following his arrest.
The FBI said in that document that the alleged scheme spanned from April 1, 2022 until Jan. 10.
“Garza and others stole these pick-up trucks from different locations in or near the City of McAllen, Texas with the intent to transport them into Mexico,” the complaint stated.
FBI agents reviewed surveillance footage, GPS tracking coordinates and interviewed witnesses in determining that Garza participated in the theft of 10 pick-up trucks.
On April 6, 2022, Garza and others stole a 2019 maroon GMC Denali pick-up truck, a 2020 gray Ford F-150 pick-up truck and a 2020 white Ford F-150 pick-up truck, according to the complaint.
“Based on the investigation, agents believe that Garza acted as a look-out for the others who broke into said vehicles, and that these stolen vehicles’ license plates replaced to prevent surveillance cameras at Ports of entry … from identifying said pick-up trucks when they were taken into Mexico,” the release stated.
The day prior, on April 5, 2020, Garza and others also stole a 2020 white Ford F-150 pick-up truck from McAllen, according to the complaint, which said Garza again acted as a lookout.
That vehicle was later crossed into Mexico.
On June 25, 2022, the FBI alleged in the complaint that Garza and others also stole a 2015 maroon Ford F-150 pick-up truck and a 2020 white Ford Raptor pick-up truck from McAllen.
One of those vehicles was later recovered by Mexican law enforcement in Reynosa and photos of it show “that it had been equipped with ballistic glass and up-armor plates and did not have the original license plates.”
A couple days later, on June 27, 2022, the group worked to steal a 2015 maroon Ford F-150 pickup truck from McAllen, which was later crossed into Mexico in Brownsville.
The complaint then details the theft of three more Ford F-150 trucks between July 3, 2022 and July 26, 2022 stolen in McAllen and crossed into Mexico through Brownsville and Roma. One of those trucks was recovered at a McAllen residence before being crossed into Mexico.
“Subsequent to these thefts, agents arrested several individuals who worked with Garza to steal these 10 pick-up trucks,” the complaint stated. “Under rights advisement and waiver, five … separate individuals admitted to working with Garza to steal these pick-up trucks.”
Those individuals are not identified.
“These individuals also identified Garza as the leader of the group and stated that Garza was in contact with unidentified individuals in Mexico, (who) purchased these stolen pick-up trucks,” the complaint stated.
Garza made a first appearance in McAllen federal court on Nov. 2 and was ordered to be held temporarily without bond.
He was scheduled for a detention hearing Tuesday.
