A rash of GPS marine thefts — ranging in the millions of dollars and spanning the Florida Keys and 16 other counties in the state — led the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office to bust a large, organized crime ring on Aug. 23.
Ten out-of-county suspects linked to the burglaries in the Upper Keys and as far south as Duck Key dating back to March were taken into custody in the early morning on Aug. 23, Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay announced at a press conference in Tavernier. Roughly 70 law enforcement officials rounded up the subjects throughout Miami-Dade County. Ramsay said law enforcement was working to arrest one more suspect.
Arrests made by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Miami-Dade Marine Theft Task Force took roughly two-and-a-half hours, Ramsay said. Together, the suspects face 122 charges stemming from roughly $2.5 million in stolen Garmin GPS systems in Monroe County. Ramsay said other charges are forthcoming from other counties.
“All 11 men resided in Miami-Dade County,” Ramsay said. “This was the hub of this organized crime ring where they were working from and going out.”
Ramsay said the suspects targeted high-end boats located in marinas and storage yards throughout the Keys and other sections of the east and west coasts of Florida. The bulk of the thefts involved Garmin GPS systems — hence the name “Operation Garmin” — as well as stereo components.
Flanked by top law enforcement officials at the press conference, Ramsay said the investigation began in May when reports of stolen Garmin GPS systems poured into the sheriff’s office. By mid-May, detectives and investigators from Monroe and Miami-Dade counties identified a person of interest and began observing the suspects’ vehicles connected to the Keys marine thefts in Miami.
Ramsay said surveillance teams saw three suspects mobilizing around midnight on May 18, traveling from the Turnpike to the state’s west coast. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office was contacted regarding the suspects. Surveillance teams were deployed to follow them to a marina. Officers reportedly saw three individuals breaking into a marina and burglarizing several vessels, ultimately coming out with a handful of GPS systems.
After the vehicle left the marina, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop. Ramsay said the top two ring leaders, Juan Felipe Villegas, 19, and Lazaro Gonzalez Munoz, 22, were in the car with a large number of GPS systems. A warrant was secured to search the vehicle, which led to the discovery of many more marine electronics. The suspects’ cell phones were seized.
Ramsay said cell phone data collected by law enforcement led to the discovery of some 194 burglary target areas spanning 17 Florida counties. Conversations among suspects detailed which areas in the state were hot, such as the Keys, and which were medium-risk targets.
“Anything red don’t go,” reads one message sent by Villegas to a man named “Julio,” likely referring to a map of South Florida released by the Sheriff’s Office with certain coastal areas circled in different colors. “Try to stay away from the right side of Florida. And No. 1 rule before you go send me your drops.”
Among those arrested during an Aug. 22 sweep were Villegas and Gonzalez Munoz and associates Denzel Varona, 18, and Paul Moises Balbino Crespo, 23. They face counts of burglary and grand theft and one count of participating in racketeering through enterprise, among other charges.
Six individuals suspected of buying and selling the GPS units and other marine electronics and arrested were Anthony Manuel Guerra, 23; Walfrido William Garcia, 22; Oscar Sahori Medina, 24; Carlos Mederos, 45; Jonathan Richard Lopez, no age given; and Alfredo Sanchez, 29.
Suspected seller and buyer Milton Horney Gonzalez Gil, 53, wasn’t arrested. Ramsay said it’s believed he was out of state.
Ramsay said Villegas was out on bond from Indian River and Collier counties for similar marine theft offenses. Gonzalez Munoz was also previously arrested in Collier County for GPS theft.
“This is a total dismantle of an organized crime ring that is occuring not only in Monroe but throughout the entire state of Florida as far north as Duval County,” Ramsay said.
Total bond for Villegas and Gonzalez Munoz was set at $1,085,000. Together, the total bond for the 11 suspects is $3.9 million.
“We’re trying to send a strong message here in Monroe that you’re more likely to get arrested here, prosecuted and spend more time in jail,” Ramsay said.
