SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Arrests Made in Stolen Vehicle Case
Law enforcement apprehended two men near Seguin, Texas, after it was discovered they were allegedly transporting stolen vehicles in two semi-tractor trailers. The Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office identified the individuals as Honduran nationals, who had six stolen vehicles worth over $470,000 in their possession.
According to the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office, officers intercepted two semi-tractor trailers early Monday morning on Interstate 10, just east of San Antonio. They were assisted by the Gonzalez County Sheriff’s Office during the stop carried out by the Auto Theft Unit K-9 and patrol officers.
An inspection revealed the trailers were concealing six stolen vehicles. The suspects, 48-year-old Danny Reneily Arias-Turcios and 19-year-old Pedro Gabriel Velazquez from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, were arrested at the scene. Investigators speculate that they were planning to transport the stolen vehicles to Honduras.
Both suspects have been booked into the Guadalupe County Jail, facing charges of theft of property between $150,000 and $300,000, with a bail set at $100,000 each, as per records from the jail.
The investigation into where the stolen vehicles originated is still ongoing. Authorities from the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office indicate that further charges and arrests might follow as inquiries continue.
A request for information regarding the immigration status of the two suspects has yet to receive a response from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Even if they were legally in the U.S., a conviction for possession of stolen property exceeding $10,000 could have significant immigration repercussions according to U.S. law.
Per Section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, theft and receiving stolen property are classified as aggravated felonies if they result in a prison sentence of one year or more. If either man is convicted, they could be deported, subjected to mandatory detention, and permanently barred from re-entering the United States. The options for challenging such deportation are quite limited.
