LAPD Recovers $2.7M in Stolen Bitcoin Miners

Nearly $4 million worth of stolen goods—including a shipment of bitcoin mining computers and over a million dollars in tequila—have been recovered in Los Angeles following the arrests of two alleged members of a South American theft crew, according to a report by KTLA.

The suspects, identified as 41-year-old Oscar David Borrero-Manchola and 25-year-old Yonaiker Rafael Martinez-Ramos, were apprehended following what police described as an “extensive investigation” into the organized crew’s operations, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

The investigation led LAPD detectives to several storage units in the San Fernando Valley, where a wide variety of stolen items were recovered. Among the goods: luxury speakers, shoes, coffee, clothing, body wash, and pet food—valued at over $1.2 million. In addition, authorities seized approximately $2.7 million in bitcoin mining computers that had been stolen from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) just before they were to be loaded onto a flight bound for Hong Kong.

Martinez-Ramos is being held without bail, while Borrero-Manchola was cited for receiving stolen property and subsequently released, KTLA reported.

The bust was the result of a joint operation led by LAPD’s Commercial Crimes Division, Cargo Theft Unit, with assistance from the L.A. Port Police, Union Pacific Police Department, and L.A. World Airport Police.

“This case highlights the ongoing collaborative efforts among law enforcement agencies to combat cargo theft and protect the integrity of commercial transport operations,” LAPD said in the release, noting that the investigation is still active and additional arrests may be forthcoming.

The seizure of the bitcoin mining equipment marks the latest in a series of such thefts in the United States since the cryptocurrency market experienced a significant upswing last year. In July 2024, the LAPD arrested a man found with stolen bitcoin mining rigs valued at $579,000, which were recovered from a cargo van and storage unit. That same month, the Baton Rouge Police Department in Louisiana seized 250 stolen bitcoin miners during a raid on an abandoned warehouse.