Arizona Investigators Say Organized Cargo Theft Crews Keep Hitting Northern Arizona Rail Corridor After $500,000 Train Burglary Arrest

FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Two men were arrested and more than $500,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered after a train burglary near Meteor Crater west of Winslow, but investigators say the case is part of a wider cargo theft pattern across Northern Arizona.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded May 29 after a report that several people were unloading goods from a stopped BNSF Railway train and transferring them into a van and a box truck near the tracks.

Arrests and recovery

Authorities stopped the van and arrested Jaime Beltran-Bojorquez, 32, and Gerardo Mares Vazquez, 28. A second vehicle fled from deputies and later crashed near Williams, while two other suspects ran away on foot and have not been caught.

Investigators said merchandise worth more than $500,000 was recovered from the vehicles. Detective Curtis Peery said that figure reflects the retail value of the products taken.

Pattern along the corridor

Peery said the arrests drew attention to a problem that keeps repeating across the rail corridor. He said investigators are seeing about 8 to 12 train burglary incidents a month in Northern Arizona.

He said the cases involve both independent theft crews and organized criminal networks, with electronics and clothing among the most common targets because they can be moved quickly through illicit resale channels.

Remote scenes slow response

Investigators say the geography of the region makes these cases harder to fight. Many thefts happen in remote areas, which can mean limited resources and longer response times for deputies and other agencies.

Peery said agency-to-agency coordination has been key, and officials are working toward a formal Northern Arizona railway task force focused on cargo theft investigations.

Railroad pushes security

BNSF Railway declined to discuss the specific case but said it has security protocols in place and is working with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to address cargo theft.

The railroad also urged broader action across the criminal justice system, saying policymakers, prosecutors and judges need to help make sure cargo theft suspects are held accountable. Authorities have not identified the commodity taken in the May 29 burglary, and the investigation is still open.

TNSO covers California, Nevada, and Arizona as the story unfolds.