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LOS ANGELES – Two Southern California residents are expected to appear in federal court today after being arrested on a federal indictment charging them with breaking into a Brinks semitruck and stole approximately $100 million worth of gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and luxury watches that were in transport from an international jewelry show near San Francisco in July 2022 – in what is considered to be the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history. Some of that jewelry was recovered during the execution of search warrants on June 16.

The indictment, returned June 11, charges the following seven defendants with two counts of conspiracy to commit theft from interstate and foreign shipment and theft from interstate and foreign shipment:

• Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado, 31, of Pasadena;
• Jazael Padilla Resto, a.k.a. “Ricardo Noel Moya,” “Ricardo Barbosa,” and “Alberto Javier Loza Chamorro,” 36, of Boyle Heights and currently an inmate in Arizona state prison;
• Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig, a.k.a. “Walter Loza,” 41, of Rialto;
• Victor Hugo Valencia Solorzano, 60, of the Rampart Village neighborhood of Los Angeles;
• Jorge Enrique Alban, 33, of South Los Angeles;
• Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores, 42, of Upland; and
• Eduardo Macias Ibarra, 36, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia, and Alban also are charged with two counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), as well as additional counts of theft from interstate and foreign shipment.

Padilla is currently in Arizona state prison serving a prison sentence for third-degree burglary with unlawful entry. He is expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks.

According to the indictment, on the evening of July 10, 2022, Mestanza, Lugo, and Alban scouted a Brinks semitruck leaving an international jewelry show in San Mateo, California with 73 bags containing millions of dollars of jewelry. From the evening of July 10 to the morning of July 11, Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia, Presilla, Macias, and other co-conspirators followed the Brinks truck approximately 300 miles from that jewelry show in San Mateo to rest stops in Buttonwillow and Lebec, north of Los Angeles.

While the truck was stopped in Lebec, those defendants stole 24 bags from the Brinks truck containing approximately $100 million of jewelry. In the following days, Mestanza, Presilla, Alban, Lugo, and Valencia all deactivated their cellphone numbers that they had been using during the heist.

Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, and Valencia are also alleged to have stolen $240,573 worth of Samsung electronics from an interstate cargo shipment in Ontario on March 2, 2022. Those same defendants, and Alban, allegedly then robbed a box truck driver of $57,377 worth of Apple AirTags. One of the robbers brandished a knife and threatened the driver.

Then, on May 25, 2022, the defendants allegedly attempted to steal from one truck at a Fontana rest stop using a crowbar to break in. Shortly after, the same defendants successfully stole approximately $14,081 worth of Samsung electronics from another interstate shipment in Fontana.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, Mestanza, Padilla, Lugo, Valencia, and Alban would face statutory maximum sentences of 20 years in federal prison for each robbery charge, and all defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the theft conspiracy charge and 10 years in federal prison for each theft charge.

The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Fontana Police Department, and the Ontario Police Department are investigating this matter. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.