Is your RV safe in a storage yard? Gates, fences, security cameras—all give a sense of security. But a story out of Florida says look out! Police have broken up a large and well-organized theft ring that targeted RVs, trailers, boat motors, and construction equipment across South Florida. Investigators say the RV theft ring stole property worth tens of thousands of dollars and, in many cases, resold it within hours.
Three men—Lazaro Gonzalez Cabrera, Jose Raxon Lopez Sangermes, and Landy Espada—are accused of running the operation. Police say they worked together to scout, steal, and quickly sell valuable items taken from storage yards, RV lots, and parking areas, in a network that stretched from Palm Beach County to Port St. Lucie and beyond.
RV theft ring—scout by day, steal by night
According to police, the suspects would drive around during the day, scoping out storage facilities and RV lots. They looked for weak spots—such as broken gates, limited security cameras, or rigs parked near exits. Then, late at night, they returned in vehicles with covered or missing license plates, using the cover of darkness or even bad weather to avoid being seen.
One of the key hit locations was Life Storage in Delray Beach, where multiple RVs and boat motors were stolen. In one case, security footage showed the suspects carefully backing a truck through tight rows of RVs. According to police, they moved like people who had been there before and knew the layout—suggesting this wasn’t a one-time job.
High tech crooks—and high tech investigators
The suspects used encrypted apps to communicate, often writing messages in Spanish to avoid being detected. Police said they used coded language, talked about pricing, and shared photos of stolen property—including VIN plates and RV interiors.
Gonzalez Cabrera and Lopez Sangermes were caught at a Delray Beach storage lot earlier this year. During their arrest, police recovered a black iPhone from their vehicle. A short time later, Espada showed up for a regular appointment with his probation officer in Miami, where detectives served a warrant and seized his phone, too.
Using forensic tools, investigators pulled GPS data, photos, and message threads from the phones. One photo showed a stolen Winnebago RV, and messages between Cabrera and Espada (saved under the nickname “Lady Pulguerro”) showed them discussing whether to “hook” the RV and haul it out. They also exchanged pricing ideas and talked about how to avoid getting caught, including using fake names on registrations.
In what looked like episodes of the TV series “FBI,” investigators used a mix of cell tower pings, license plate readers, and ground surveillance to connect thefts across at least a dozen cities. Most of the RVs and trailers involved had drilled-out locks and were taken using the same few vehicles. Some of the stolen items were moved and resold so quickly that victims didn’t know their property was gone until days later.
“Knew what they were looking for … and how to flip it fast”
“Everything about this operation was planned and repeated,” a Delray Beach Police Department investigator told CBS12.com. “They knew what they were looking for, how to get in, and how to flip it fast.”
By early 2025, police issued warrants. Gonzalez Cabrera and Lopez Sangermes were arrested in February. Espada was arrested more recently, on July 7, and is now also facing charges.
All three men face racketeering (RICO) charges, along with several counts of grand theft and burglary.
RVers’ takeaways
Storage facilities were a major target – If your RV is stored in South Florida, especially in unsecured or low-traffic locations, this case should serve as a wakeup call.
Stronger locks help – The suspects looked for easy-to-remove locks. Use heavy-duty lock hardware, consider GPS trackers, and talk to your facility about gate and camera upgrades.
VIN cloning might be in play – One of the suspects had dozens of photos of RV VIN plates. That could mean they were trying to fake titles or registrations. Be careful when buying RVs secondhand—especially from private sellers without paperwork.
Fast resale means fast loss – The group moved quickly, often getting rid of stolen goods in just hours. Delays in reporting could mean your rig disappears from the area before police can trace it.
Protecting your rig
Law enforcement recommends a few simple steps to protect RVs from theft:
- Install GPS trackers – Place them in hidden spots in or on your RV.
- Use wheel locks or hitch locks – These slow thieves down and may cause them to move on.
- Check on your RV regularly – Check especially after storms, which can affect gate security or camera power.
- Document everything – Keep photos of your rig, your VIN, and any unique features. This helps police ID it if it’s recovered.
Bottom line for RVers: This organized theft ring hit storage yards hard, especially targeting RVs. Police have arrested the key suspects, but other rings could be active. Make sure your rig is secure, and report anything suspicious right away.
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RVT1217b
Thank you for this startling and troubling news, Russ and Tina! Yikes! As well-organized and efficient as these guys were, they should have been able to make a good living legally. Too bad they did not. Have a great day and safe travels!
This really hits home. We live in Palm beach county half the week trying to do the Swedish death cleaning and also doing yard maintenance so it won’t look as if the house is empty then going to medical appointments for things we can’t find in our retirement place 2 hours away. We’ve discovered a pretty good way to make our trailer foolproof- knock on wood We managed to put molded fiberglass trailer w/the rear facing into our driveway, the front w/our trailer hitch is about 10 ft from trees& the wild bee hive in our ficus tree We get our garden pollinized this way&if thieves try to access our rv the bees are so close they’ll be thoroughly annoyed and start stinging
We had our Class A stored at a facility that bragged about its gates, locks, and security cameras. One day we went to the RV to prep for a trip and found it had been broken into, damaged, and multiple items stolen. And the management either didn’t know or didn’t say anything, despite a large window being shattered and the broken glass scattered outside. We reviewed the camera footage, which was inadequate to identify who did it and only told us when it was done (3 days earlier). The cameras, locks, and gates were promotional items to entice people to use the facility more than actual security. It was an expensive way to learn our lesson about trusting someone else’s security measures.