A pair of Miami-Dade men have been arrested in connection with the heist of a large shipment of cigarettes in Virginia last month.
Ramon Izquierdo, 57, of Hialeah, and Alberto Rico Perez, 31, of Miami Gardens, have been arrested in the March 24 crime at a business in Culpeper, Virginia, police said Monday.
Both men were taken into custody in Miami-Dade and will be extradited to Virginia to face charges of felony burglary, felony conspiracy to commit burglary, and two counts of felony grand larceny.
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Culpeper Police said at least five suspects were behind the heist at the Merchants Grocery Company.
The suspects forced their way inside and stole a large quantity of tobacco products, loading them into a box truck rented by the business and fleeing the scene.
Police said they worked with the ATF and numerous law enforcement agencies in New Jersey, New York, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida in the investigation, which led them to the stolen box truck and the arrests of Izquierdo and Perez.
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Doral Police and Miami-Dade Fugitive Task Force took both men into custody last week.
“The actions these criminals took in our Town had a significant impact on the local business community," Culpeper Police Chief Chris Settle said in a statement. "Utilizing emerging technology and dogged investigative determination, our detectives and analyst worked tirelessly with law enforcement agencies and federal partners along the entire East Coast. Technology has become an integral part of modern policing, but it’s the men and women behind the technology that truly make it effective. Thank you to our partner agencies for their on-going assistance and cooperation."
Police said they're still investigating persons of interest and said more charges could be filed.
