By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The leader of an international train theft crew is set to be sentenced in a Phoenix federal court after admitting to leading a group that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise from freight trains across rural Arizona.
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Felipe Arturo Avalos-Mejia, also known as “El Pollo,” led a group of Mexican nationals who traveled to Arizona to break into and steal from trains, according to investigators. He has admitted in court to directing the operation, which netted 2,500 pairs of unreleased Nike shoes and 1,000 boxes of gaming headsets, among other goods.
Caught on camera in rural Navajo County
The crew’s March 2024 operation in Joseph City was captured on video by a camera set up by train enthusiasts in rural Navajo County. Footage shows a group of men running across a field toward a stopped train, climbing onto the cars, and then fleeing in trucks. Investigators say fake 911 calls were made to distract deputies during the getaway.
Navajo County Sheriff’s deputies caught up with one of the trucks nearby, finding three people in the cab and two more in the truck bed.
At the jail, four of the men said they were related and one was described as a friend. All five admitted they were in the country illegally and none explained why they were near the train.
When investigators accessed their phones, they found additional evidence tying them to the theft. All five men later pleaded guilty. It is not known whether they have been deported.
Thefts continue despite arrests
Despite the capture of Avalos-Mejia and his crew, train thefts in the region have continued. In June, Navajo County deputies arrested two people whose truck was found loaded with boxes of wireless speakers valued at approximately half a million dollars. Months earlier, eight people were arrested in a separate incident, with a U-Haul found containing boxes of Nike shoes that had not yet been released to the public.
U.S. Attorney Tim Courchaine said the stolen goods are not the end goal for these crews.
“Stealing the shoes is just a means for them to get money,” Courchaine said. “They’re getting as much profit as they can as quickly as they can. So it’s about how much they can get and how fast they can get it.”
Courchaine said the operations are more organized than previously understood.
“I think it shows that these crews are more coordinated than maybe previously thought,” he said.
Dangerous operations draw law enforcement response
According to investigators, most of the groups consist of Mexican nationals targeting trains traveling from ports in California and striking in remote parts of the Arizona desert. Coconino County Sheriff Bret Axlund said the crews scout locations in advance and plan multiple escape routes.
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“This is a planned event for them,” Axlund said. “It’s been scouted out and they’re able to come up with several different areas of escape.”
Axlund said the groups are dangerous, noting that one of his detectives was shot at during an operation. Courchaine echoed that assessment.
“They’re extremely dangerous for law enforcement, and they’re extremely dangerous for the people committing the crime,” Courchaine said. “We have several stories of people dying or being severely injured while attempting to rob a moving train.”
Arizona’s Family Investigates found at least one death in Yavapai County of a suspected train thief who was struck by another train after falling from one.
Federal task force targets command structure
Courchaine said Arizona officials are working to dismantle not just the crews on the ground but the command and control networks directing them, including those operating from Mexico.
“The more we focus on their command and control elements, even those going back to Mexico trying to find those root coordination mechanisms — those root coordinators — that will have an effect,” Courchaine said.
A bill aimed at curbing train theft crews nationwide has passed the U.S. House and is currently before the Senate. The Arizona House delegation voted along party lines, except for Rep. Greg Stanton, who voted with Arizona Republicans in favor of the bill.
Avalos-Mejia is scheduled to be sentenced in Phoenix federal court on Aug. 25.
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