On April 15, 2024, a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy conducted a traffic stop in Gardnerville, Nevada, which led to the discovery of stolen mail from U.S. Post Office mailboxes across Northern Nevada. The recovered mail included numerous personal checks addressed to the Internal Revenue Service totaling $507,489.42.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, “The mail was stolen using a device with a glue rat trap attached to the end. The suspects inserted the device into the mailbox opening, allowing the adhesive trap to latch onto mail, which they then pulled out.”
The two individuals in the vehicle, both from Southern California, were arrested on several local charges and booked into DCSO Minden Jail. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed holds on both due to their undocumented status.
The case was referred to federal authorities as it appeared connected to a larger criminal operation. The DCSO Investigations Division worked with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Reno for further investigation.
“The Reno HSI Office has been working on the case since April 2024 and discovered the two suspects arrested by DCSO were part of a Transnational Criminal Organization,” stated officials. “Reno HSI, with the assistance of Los Angeles HSI and other allied California Law Enforcement Agencies, secured federal indictments on six individuals in the Southern California area.”
On November 25, 2025, coordinated efforts between Reno HSI and Los Angeles HSI resulted in three arrests following execution of arrest warrants and a residential search warrant in Los Angeles.
Other agencies involved in this multi-jurisdictional investigation included Sacramento HSI, Concord Police Department, Benicia Police Department, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
