A car theft ring in Houston, Texas, has been dealt a crucial hit after five suspects were taken into custody. They are accused of stealing vehicles from multiple states and then switching their VINs to resell them on places such as Facebook Marketplace.
As reported by ABC13, many vehicles from states such as Minnesota and Nebraska ended up appearing in Houston. One Nebraska man’s GMC Denali and another driver’s Audi SUV ended up in the Lone Star State after they were stolen.
Following an investigation, a multi-agency effort identified a car theft operation based in Houston. Most specifically, it was believed that the criminal organization was based at Webberville Boat and RV Storage, located in the 5400 block of Almeda Genoa.
The authorities hit the establishment and were right on point. Five different suspects were arrested: Gerald Gamboa, Khiem Danh, Luis Leal, Joseph Granados, and Tori Aguilar.
VIN Switch
The car theft ring modus operandi was simple. Sgt. Ben LeBlanc with the Houston Police Department’s auto theft division detailed that, after getting hold of the vehicles, the suspects would then switch their vehicle identification numbers (VINs).
Equipped with a fake VIN, each of these vehicles was then listed online for sale. Places such as OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace would often see individuals purchasing cars they had no clue were stolen in the first place.
Still, the suspects had other tricks up their sleeves. Exuses, too.
Key Fobs and Excuses
Aguilar, one of the suspects, was found with 10 blank key fobs in her possession, court records cited by ABC13 showed. She is accused of reprogramming these fobs to make them work with stolen vehicles, with members of the car theft ring eventually using them as their own.
Gamboa, meanwhile, claimed during a court appearance that he was nothing but a mere passenger in one of the stolen vehciles. A judge said during the hearing that the suspect claimed that he had been “invited to get into some stuff from a friend.”
To the judge, this statement was just a colloquialism for an illegal activity. In the end, Gamboa, Aguilar, and the rest of the suspects were instructed to stay away from each other and Weberville Boat and RV Storage as a condition for bail.
Stolen Vehicle Cases
The outlet reported on Houston Police Department auto theft numbers. In 2026, 4,435 vehicles were reported stolen. This is lower than 2025’s 6,755 recorded in the same time frame.
The same drop can be observed in Harris County in general. Last year, 2,538 stolen vehicle cases were recorded, a much higher number than 2026’s 1,646.
Additionally, Sgt. LeBlanc detailed that the most popular stolen vehicles are the General Motors models, as well as Corvettes. Dodge and Mercedes-Benz are also among the thieves’ brands of choice.