Prosecutors charged eight Michigan men with “running a sophisticated car theft and international smuggling operation,” according to a statement Thursday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The unsealed indictment alleged that the men conspired from July 2023 to August 2025 to obtain stolen vehicles at one of four commercial or industrial lots, where the cars were placed into shipping containers and transported with freight or rail, according to the statement. If the vehicles made it to a port city without law enforcement intervention, they would then be shipped overseas, authorities said.
“Stolen cars have no place in interstate commerce and foreign trade,” U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said while announcing the arrests. (RELATED: Police Arrest Foreign National Who Works At Daycare Center In California, Charge Him With Sexual Abuse)
All eight men were charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles and at least one count of transporting a stolen vehicle, for a total of 12 indictments, according to the statement.
Eight Men Charged with Smuggling High-End Vehicles Overseas: According to the indictment, from July 2023 through August 2025, the defendants conspired to receive stolen vehicles at one of four commercial/industrial lots, pack two or more vehicles at the lots into shipping…
— FBI (@FBI) September 4, 2025
If convicted of conspiracy, each man faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. If found guilty of transporting stolen motor vehicles, each of the accused could serve up to 10 years in prison and face another $250,000 fine, according to the statement.
The Dearborn Police Department began the investigation with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also provided aid.
Investigators recovered more than 350 stolen vehicles, according to ICE HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. “This case hits even closer to home in a state like Michigan, where auto theft doesn’t just hurt our wallets, but our culture,” he said.
“This indictment underscores the importance of law enforcement collaboration to ensure those who exploit our borders through unlawful commercial vehicle smuggling operations are brought to justice,” Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office Reuben Coleman said.
The ICE has not yet responded to the Daily Caller’s request to verify the immigration status of the alleged conspirators.