Several arrested following HSI Omaha, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement partner investigation into multimillion-dollar theft ring
Florida-based sophisticated organized criminal enterprise targeted beef and pork packaging plants in Midwest
LINCOLN, Neb. — The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of several semi-trailers and loads of frozen beef in Lancaster County, Nebraska, June 27.
In the initial investigation, the estimated loss was $1 million. Since June 2021, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Omaha, has identified approximately 45 thefts that occurred across Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin, totaling $9 million in loss. The investigation, led by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and HSI Omaha’s Major Crimes Task Force, determined that a Miami-based, highly sophisticated organized criminal enterprise targeted beef and pork packaging plants in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.
On Oct. 20, HSI Omaha, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol, assisted by HSI Miami - El Dorado Task Force South, identified and arrested three principal targets in the organized criminal enterprise, recovering three tractor trailers with stolen merchandise valued at $550,000. The three people arrested were Yoslany Leyva Del Sol, Ledier Machin Andino, and Delvis L. Fuentes, all from the Miami area. The three were arrested under 18 U.S. Code 2314 Transportation of Stolen Goods and 18 U.S. Code 1956 Money Laundering.
This investigation is ongoing and part of the HSI Omaha and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Task Force.
Homeland Security Investigations
HSI is a directorate of ICE and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 6,800 special agents assigned to 225 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
Learn more about how HSI combats organized crime in your community, on Twitter @HSIKansasCity.
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