For Immediate Release
March 13, 2025
TAMPA, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), along with Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and representatives from the Tampa International Airport Police Department (TPAPD), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced arrests as part of an investigation into an auto theft ring.
“Thanks to the help of our law enforcement partners, six criminal aliens who stole upward of 80 cars will be brought to justice by our Statewide Prosecutors,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Florida is a law-and-order state; we will pursue justice and work with the Trump administration to send these criminals back to where they came from.”
“This case is a testament to the power of law enforcement teamwork, and I’m proud of the work we were able to accomplish on this investigation,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “This is a textbook example of law enforcement collaboration at its finest, bringing down a sophisticated crime ring from an operation that stretched across the west coast of Florida.”
The investigation began in June 2022, when FDLE agents in Fort Myers identified 12 stolen vehicles from multiple counties including Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. When the suspects were identified, they were determined to live in the Tampa Bay area. Through investigative methods, agents discovered the suspects were targeting airport rental vehicles, and had direct access to the keys of high-end rentals.
Suspects with access would transport the vehicles out of the rental lot, and to an unknown location to switch the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) with fraudulent VINs, with the intent to sell the vehicles. They would also steal rental vehicles from lawful customers by planting tracking devices on each vehicle to find their locations. This criminal enterprise was involved in multiple vehicle thefts spanning across several Florida counties, and have committed similar crimes in several other states including Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio.
On March 11, 2025, FDLE agents, along with FHP, HSI, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, arrested 5 of the 6 wanted targets for violations of racketeering, with one suspect also being charged with possession of a vehicle containing altered VIN numbers.
The 6 targets of the investigation are:
Hector Rafael Gonalez Tamayo
Arrested March 11, 2025
Charge: Racketeering
Yoan Oriol Gonzalez Solorzano
Arrested March 11, 2025
Charge: Racketeering
Felipe Benitez Alonso
Arrested March 11, 2025
Charge: Racketeering
Yainier Pinillo Toro
In Custody (Tarrant County, Texas)
Charge: Racketeering
Maria Beatriz Rodriguez La Rosa
Arrested March 11, 2025
Charges: Racketeering, Possession of a Vehicle with Altered Numbers
Inti Gomez Alonso
**WANTED**
Four of the suspects were booked into the Hillsborough and Pasco County Jails, and one is currently in custody in Tarrant County Jail in Texas on similar charges. The case is being prosecuted by Attorney General Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
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