TEXAS — Two Cuban nationals have been arrested and federally charged in connection with a sophisticated stolen vehicle trafficking operation that spanned multiple U.S. states and involved the export of high-value vehicles to Mexico, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Sadiel Noa-Aguila, 42, of Pharr, Texas, and Miguel Baez-Echevarria, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, are facing charges of aiding and abetting the exportation of stolen motor vehicles. Baez-Echevarria is also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed at the time of their arrest, an investigation launched in 2024 uncovered a nationwide network responsible for stealing vehicles from airports and surrounding urban areas including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, and Texas cities such as Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Authorities allege that members of the ring used electronic devices to unlock vehicles and reprogram key fobs, then disguised the vehicles with fraudulent license plates or altered VINs before reselling or exporting them. Some vehicles were smuggled across the border via ports of entry in Hidalgo County and El Paso, Texas.
Noa-Aguila is specifically accused of attempting to export a 2022 GMC Sierra AT4 at a Hidalgo County port of entry on October 1, 2024. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Denver, Colorado, the previous month.
Investigators say Baez-Echevarria is linked to the theft of at least 15 vehicles, and that the group trafficked millions of dollars’ worth of stolen vehicles.
If convicted, both men face up to 10 years in federal prison for the stolen vehicle charges. Baez-Echevarria’s money laundering charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years.
Noa-Aguila will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen, while Baez-Echevarria is scheduled to appear before Judge Brenda Wexler in Las Vegas.
