Federal authorities seized four high-end vehicles with active theft reports from the United States after discovering them hidden inside shipping containers at the Ensenada Maritime Customs port on May 29.
The operation involved agents from the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR, Mexico’s federal Attorney General’s Office), the Federal Ministerial Police, Ensenada Customs officials, and the Mexican Navy’s Second Naval Zone. Navy infantry secured the perimeter while FGR agents and ministerial police executed search warrants inside the port facility.
Bentley, Porsche, Lexus, and BMW Recovered
The four vehicles recovered include one Bentley, one Porsche, one Lexus, and two BMW models. All had active stolen vehicle reports filed in the United States. Authorities found the cars concealed inside cargo containers that had arrived at Ensenada’s maritime terminal by sea.
The seizure follows a pattern at the Ensenada port. In May 2023, the Ensenada Regional Prosecutor’s Office seized three luxury SUVs with active U.S. theft reports from the same port, including two 2023 models and one 2021 model.
Container Smuggling: A Persistent Problem
Hiding stolen vehicles inside shipping containers is a well-documented organized crime tactic on both sides of the border. In April 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recovered 18 stolen vehicles valued at $1.1 million from outbound containers at ports in Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia. Those cars were headed for Ghana, Libya, Jordan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Ensenada’s commercial port, located along the city’s waterfront about 80 miles south of the U.S. border, handles both cargo and cruise ship traffic. The port’s role as a commercial hub makes it a target for cross-border vehicle trafficking networks that exploit container shipping routes.
Federal Agencies Coordinating Enforcement
The Mexican Navy’s Second Naval Zone confirmed the joint operation in a statement on May 31. The coordinated effort between four federal agencies, including military perimeter security during the search warrant execution, points to intelligence-driven planning rather than a routine inspection.
Authorities did not announce any arrests in connection with the seizure. The investigation remains open under federal jurisdiction. The recovered vehicles will be held as evidence while the FGR determines their origin and traces the smuggling network involved.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.net, with additional details from El Vigía, Semanario ZETA, and El Imparcial.