HOUSTON, Texas – A search warrant filed in Harris County outlines a large-scale investigation into multiple organized retail thefts with links to Mexican Cartels.
One Pasadena resident was recently arrested as part of the ongoing investigation.
Jose Luis Vences Rivera, 38, was arrested and charged with felony theft. A search warrant filed in the case shows officers seized multiple bags of clothes, cell phones, an SUV, and a so-called booster bag, which is a foil-lined bag used to shield sensors attached to merchandise from being detected when leaving a store. The warrant was served at a house listed as Rivera’s home address.
Harris County records show Rivera is still in jail. Harris County records also show Rivera is a citizen of Mexico and is also being held in jail under an ICE detainer. A search warrant filed as part of the case states thefts occurred at The Woodlands Mall, First Colony Mall, Baybrook Mall, and Deerbrook Mall.
According to the warrant, Rivera’s arrest is part of a sprawling investigation into 200 individuals suspected of stealing retail merchandise in 28 states. The warrant reads that the stolen goods are then shipped to Laredo, before being exported to the Nezahualcoyotl region of Mexico, which borders Mexico City, to be sold.
The affidavit further reads that an estimated more than $120,000,000 worth of merchandise is believed to have been shipped into Mexico from January 2023 through November 2024. Investigators write that the La Familia Michoacana Cartel “has been the primary organization receiving goods and selling them in the Nezahualcoyotl region of Mexico.”
The warrant also states that the Cartel Del Noreste and Jalisco New Generation Cartels have been smuggling people into the US to commit these thefts and ship the merchandise to Laredo.
The warrant was filed by an investigator with the Katy Police Department, who is a board member of the Texas Organized Retail Crime Association. When contacted by 2 Investigates, Katy police referred our questions to the Department of Homeland Security as the lead agency. Officials with DHS declined to comment since the investigation is ongoing.
Rivera is due back in court in September, and a call to his attorney has not yet been returned.
Court documents filed in Rivera’s case indicate two other people have been charged as part of this investigation, but no information is available at this time on those cases.
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