By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Two men have been arrested in a major theft ring that involved plans to take dozens of vehicles stolen from Phoenix across Arizona’s southern border.
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Bruno Gael Rivera, 21, and Ramses Rivera, 19, were arrested during a search tied to the theft ring case Wednesday morning.
Between July 2025 and June 2026, Phoenix police said at least 70 vehicles had been stolen from lots on Washington Street between 37th and 44th streets.
Arizona’s Family Investigates learned that many of the thefts occurred at The Parking Spot 1 on Washington, The Parking Spot 2 on Van Buren and PreFlight Airport Parking on 44th Street. These are privately owned lots not affiliated with the city or Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Many of the thefts also involved vehicles rented through Turo, a car rental marketplace.
Investigators said they received a tip in March about a possible coordinated effort to steal vehicles and take them into Mexico. That led to a joint operation between the Phoenix Police Property Crimes Bureau and the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Vehicle Theft Task Force.
Investigators found a sharp rise in car thefts beginning last November and tracked many of them to the border city of Nogales. They were soon able to identify two suspects.
On Wednesday, police officers and troopers searched places in Nogales and nearby Rio Rico. That’s when they took Bruno Rivera and Ramses Rivera were taken into custody.
Both were booked into a Maricopa County jail on multiple felony counts of theft of means of transportation. Police have not indicated if the two men are related.
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Other details about the investigation were not released, as investigators are still searching for at least two suspects.
Sources tell Arizona’s Family that the number of stolen vehicles may be much higher than the information provided by Phoenix police.
While there is no indication that any of the thefts occurred on Sky Harbor property, when asked, an airport spokesperson referred us to police.
It’s unclear how many vehicles were recovered. The investigation is ongoing.
“The safety and security of our community is fundamental to how Turo operates.
“For hosts whose vehicles were stolen while active on Turo, we are working to recover their cars or provide reimbursement up to the vehicles’ actual cash value. These protocols are in place across our operating markets to help protect hosts in rare but serious circumstances such as theft.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with Phoenix PD and Arizona Department of Public Safety officials on this open investigation, and to helping keep car owners and drivers safe from bad actors.”
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