NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — The California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) arrested 13 people and seized over $800,000 in stolen merchandise in a major operation targeting a sophisticated retail theft ring.
The task force, which included investigators from the Sacramento Police Department and the Placer County District Attorney’s Office, began tracking the suspects in September after identifying retail theft activity across multiple Northern California locations.
On October 1, Rocklin police, with assistance from ORCTF, located the initial suspects, who identified others buying stolen goods to resell at flea markets in Oakland, San Jose, Galt, Modesto, and Stockton. Investigators then conducted surveillance operations, obtained search warrants for six homes, three storage lockers, and one storage lot, and linked the suspects to the stolen merchandise.
During Operation Silent Night on December 11, authorities executed warrants in Oakland, Richmond, San Leandro, and Galt, resulting in:
13 arrests
Seizure of over 400 boxes and 200 bags of stolen merchandise
Recovery of two firearms, $10,000 in cash, five vans, two cars, and two trailers
The stolen items included cosmetics, clothing, household goods, power tools, toys, alcohol, and diapers, totaling 44,140 items valued at over $800,000. Cal Expo provided an exposition hall to help catalog the recovered goods.
The arrested suspects are:
Isaid Garcia Chapas, 41, Oakland
Irene Cruz Barragan, 35, Oakland
Daniela Cruz Barragan, 33, Oakland
Robert Lorenzo Luna-Varela, 34, Oakland
Jefferson Isaed Garcia-Rivera, 22, Oakland
Jennifer Garcia Cruz, 19, Oakland
Elan Rosales Montes, 35, Oakland
Claudia Ivet Cruz Barragan, 42, Oakland
Yolanda Carrillo Martinez, 45, Oakland
Ivan Miranda Espinoza, 33, Oakland
Bach Ngoc Thi Bui, 53, El Sobrante
Yuridia Sandoval Ramirez, 35, Oakland
Eryn Wilfred Corea Guevara, 29, Oakland
CHP Valley Division Chief Tyler Eccles emphasized:
“Organized retail theft is not a victimless crime. It impacts businesses, workers, and communities across California. This investigation highlights the strength of collaboration between law enforcement and our retail partners.”
Governor Gavin Newsom established the ORCTF in 2019 to combat sophisticated theft rings. Since then, the task force has conducted over 4,200 investigations, arrested 4,700 suspects, and recovered nearly 1.5 million stolen goods valued at $68.7 million statewide as of November 30, 2025.
This operation underscores the continuing threat of organized retail crime and the importance of inter-agency collaboration to protect communities and businesses in California.
