An international car theft ring is allegedly responsible for more than 50 vehicle thefts at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, according to investigators.
It appears the crime ring has been active at DFW airport since early last year, and so far approximately 52 vehicle thefts totaling $4.9 million in losses have been linked to the organization.
According to a search warrant filed in Tarrant County, police began investigating the Houston-based crime ring last February, as NBC 5 DFW reported. A break came in the case when police arrested a suspect last month. Since then, police have identified 14 suspects, three of whom were arrested.
The alleged ringleader of the group, Yoel Hernandez-Frometa, was among the three taken into custody. According to the search warrant, Hernadez-Frometa was able to steal the vehicles by using Autel devices to reprogram key fobs. After stealing the vehicles, the organized crime ring would alter the vehicle identification numbers, fraudulently re-title the automobiles, and then either sell them in the U.S. or drive them across the border to Mexico, according to court documents.
The crime ring also allegedly targeted other airports in Texas, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona, NBC 5 reported.
DFW airport officials released a statement about the investigation into the auto thefts.
“Investigators with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety remain in close contact with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and disrupt organized crime rings targeting airport parking facilities throughout the country,” the statement read. “Due to the work of DFW Airport Police, the airport has seen a more than 40% reduction in car thefts from the terminal areas so far this year compared with 2023.”
Motor vehicle theft is the second-most common crime in Dallas, falling right behind simple assault. So far this year, 12,796 vehicle thefts have been reported, according to the City of Dallas Crime Analytics dashboard. However, this figure likely does not include thefts at DFW airport, as those would not be reported through the Dallas Police Department, but rather through the airport police agency.
In the city of Dallas, efforts to combat crime have been hindered by a chronic shortage of police officers. The Dallas Police Department currently fields only about 3,100 officers, despite a city analysis that recommended 4,000 officers for a city of its size.
This issue came to the fore recently when Dallas residents voted to approve Proposition U, a Dallas Hero amendment to the city charter that requires the City to maintain a police force of at least 4,000 officers. It also mandates that 50% of excess City revenue must be directed toward hitting that goal.
Although the DPD’s budget this fiscal year of $654 million is an increase over last year’s budget, it is still far less than the budgets of other high-crime cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.