Cuban men arrested for roles in nationwide multimillion-dollar auto theft ring

US Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, June 26, 2025

McALLEN, Texas – Two Cuban nationals have been taken into custody on charges related to the exportation of stolen motor vehicles, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Sadiel Noa-Aguila, 42, and Miguel Baez-Echevarria, 36, resided in Pharr and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively.

Noa-Aguila is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker in McAllen at 9 a.m., while Baez is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brenda Wexler in Las Vegas.  

According to the criminal complaint unsealed upon their arrests, authorities launched an investigation in 2024 that uncovered a large ring linked to numerous vehicle thefts nationwide. The charges allege the vehicles were primarily stolen from major metropolitan airports and surrounding areas, including Las Vegas; Phoenix, Arizona; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Texas cities including Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.

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