LAPD raids Bell car lot, seizes $500K in stolen cargo amid crime surge

LAPD's Cargo Theft Task Force raided a used car lot in Bell and recovered more than $500,000 in stolen merchandise, officials said, as the department intensifies a crackdown on organized criminal networks it says are driving up consumer prices across Southern California, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

The operation is part of an escalating campaign against cargo theft in Los Angeles, where LAPD recovered $52 million in stolen goods last year and $22 million in the first three months of 2026 alone, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Officials warn the theft wave is pushing up prices for consumers throughout Southern California.

Officers executed a search warrant at the Bell location after a European manufacturer alerted LAPD that its products were appearing on online resale platforms; investigators traced a shipping address to the car lot, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. Among items recovered were DeWalt power tools, Nike footwear, Yeti mugs, Acer computers, acoustic drum components and jeans.

"We've seen DeWalt. We've seen Nike. We have seen our stolen product that, what brought us here in the first place," an undercover LAPD detective said during the raid, according to ABC7.

Separately, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recovered $4 million in stolen cargo during a bust in Vernon. Peter Ahoubim of Beverly Hills was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said the operations reflect a sophisticated criminal enterprise. "It is a legitimate organized crime network that is involved in these types of crimes," Hamilton told ABC7, explaining that foreign-based leaders direct domestic theft of goods arriving at Los Angeles port facilities and rail cars.

An undercover LAPD detective said livestream shopping apps have lowered the barrier for thieves to move merchandise. "I think so. Yeah, it's just easier. It makes it easier for the people like this to sell their items," the detective said, according to ABC7.

Hamilton said ordinary consumers ultimately bear the cost. "You and I and the people that, you know, the regular Joe or Jane on the street are paying the cost for this theft. And when it goes up to hundreds of millions of dollars, billions of dollars nationwide, that is going to be passed onto the consumer, and we're not going to allow that to happen here in the city of Los Angeles," he said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. LAPD said investigations into cargo theft networks are ongoing.