Arizona Police Bust Luxury Car Theft Ring Recovering 29 Stolen Vehicles

Authorities in Arizona have dismantled a sophisticated luxury car theft ring, arresting three Glendale residents—Ali Ahmad, Delia Rocha, and Mario Garcia Rodriguez—and recovering 29 high-end vehicles valued at nearly $2.5 million. The suspects allegedly stole vehicles from out of state, altered their VINs, and then rented them out on the car-sharing platform Turo, with profits traced to accounts in the U.S., Mexico, and the Middle East. The operation, dubbed 'Operation Escalading Switch,' involved multiple law enforcement agencies executing coordinated search warrants at several locations across the Phoenix area. Recovered vehicles included luxury brands such as Mercedes, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, and Cadillac. Meanwhile, in Trinidad, police investigated six separate car thefts in a 24-hour span, with several Nissan models targeted and some vehicles later found stripped or damaged. These cases highlight the growing sophistication and international reach of organized vehicle theft rings.