Four Cuban nationals are facing up to a combined 832 years in prison and potential deportation after being arrested for their roles in a criminal theft ring that spanned across Florida and Texas, authorities announced.
“These arrests exemplify the dangers of an open border policy,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated during a press conference with Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, whose deputies led the operation.
According to Uthmeier, one of the Cubans held a green card from the Obama administration, while the other three illegally entered the country under the Biden administration. “They all have criminal records and shouldn’t have been here,” he said. “Yet here they are, running an organized scheme to defraud our citizens. Let this be an example: leave our citizens alone.”
The investigation began in May, when detectives with the sheriff’s Organized Crime Task Force noticed a pattern of Electronic Control Module (ECM) thefts from freightliner semi-trucks parked in short-term storage lots. ECMs, often referred to as the “brain” of the truck, are essential for operation. Without them, trucks are inoperable.
Detectives suspected the thefts were part of a broader criminal network—a theory confirmed with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. In coordination with the AG’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, law enforcement obtained 25 search warrants and investigative subpoenas. Other agencies involved included the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami-Dade Police Department.
The ring reportedly targeted 93 victims, causing an estimated $400,000 in ECM thefts and $370,000 in damage from forced entry and cut wiring harnesses. Investigators tracked thefts across multiple Florida counties—Hillsborough, Duval, Lee, and Polk—and into Travis and Williamson counties in Texas.
The four men, all based in Miami and Palm Beach counties, were identified as:
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Geosvany Figuerdo-Gonzalez, 27
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Orlando Martínez-Dorta, 27
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Brian Sanchez-Perez, 28
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Liovel Urra-Penate, 28
All were charged with conspiracy to engage in racketeering, with Figuerdo-Gonzalez, Martínez-Dorta, and Sanchez-Perez facing an additional 65 counts of third-degree grand theft, 65 counts of burglary of unoccupied conveyance (across county lines), and criminal mischief involving $1,000 or more.
“These individuals all have criminal backgrounds—some more extensive than others,” said Sheriff Chronister.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed detainer requests on three of the suspects, while the fourth’s green card status is under investigation.
Chronister also revealed that ECMs sell for $3,000 to $10,000 each on the secondary market. The stolen modules were sold to a Texas-based broker who wiped and resold them. This intel has been passed to federal authorities, and more arrests are anticipated.
“This wasn’t petty theft,” Chronister said. “This was a calculated criminal enterprise that crippled hardworking truck drivers by stealing the very technology that powers their livelihoods. Thanks to the tireless work of our Organized Crime Task Force and our partners, this ring is dismantled.”
AG Uthmeier echoed that sentiment: “Florida has made it clear—crime doesn’t pay. And if you’re an illegal alien, we will work with the Trump administration to remove you from our country. These criminal aliens can expect a long prison sentence and a flight back home.”
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