Miami men face charges in $100K Florida meat thefts

Two men in Florida have been arrested in connection with a large-scale theft involving a tractor-trailer loaded with around $100,000 worth of frozen poultry.

Jorge Lyen Blanco-Diaz, 38, and Raul Bello, 49, face multiple charges, including grand theft of cargo and grand theft of a vehicle, according to authorities who are investigating the case.

Numerous news sources note that the theft occurred on Sept. 15, when the tractor-trailer went missing near Old State Road 9 and Northwest 155th Lane in Miami.

The truck, valued at $60,000, and the trailer, worth $80,000, were loaded with frozen poultry products worth about $100,000. The truck was later spotted by license plate readers heading north on Interstate 95, followed closely by a white Nissan NV200 van.

According to reports, law enforcement said it tracked down the van and found Bello driving it. Surveillance and cell phone data linked him to the theft location. Bello, who is currently on probation for burglary, assault, and illegal weapons possession until November 2030, was arrested earlier this month.

Blanco-Diaz, the second suspect, was arrested on Oct. 16. He was already on house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor due to two unrelated cases. Police said the ankle monitor data placed him at the scene of the theft. Blanco-Diaz is also under investigation for a separate cargo theft from September 2023, in which a truck carrying $400,000 worth of assorted meat products was stolen.

Both men were booked into Miami-Dade jail on multiple charges. Neither has provided statements to police, and attorney information was not available at the time of their arrests. Authorities continue to investigate their potential involvement in a larger theft organization operating in the area.

»Related: Florida police have ‘beef’ with $200K, signal-jamming, meat thief