POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of five individuals, all identified as Venezuelan illegal immigrants, suspected of operating an organized retail theft ring across the Central Florida area.
Judd linked the group to the violent Tren de Aragua gang originating from Venezuelan prisons and recognized in the United States as an organized gang and an “organized terrorist organization.”
The investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Organized Retail Crime Unit began in October of the previous year and involved collaboration with numerous local, state, and federal agencies. Authorities believe the group is responsible for over three dozen retail thefts across five judicial districts in Central Florida, with estimated losses exceeding $30,000.
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The criminal activity reportedly escalated from minor thefts, such as stealing beer from convenience stores, to violent robberies targeting high-end liquor.
A key incident leading to the suspects’ identification occurred in early March 2025 at a Sam’s Club in North Lakeland.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a group of five Hispanic males attempted to steal a shopping cart loaded with 14 cases of high-end liquor valued at $3,200.
Store personnel intervened, and one employee was injured when the suspects rammed the cart into her. The suspects grabbed two cases of liquor and fled on foot after their silver Ford Focus became disabled trying to drive over a curb in the parking lot. They subsequently called an Uber to leave the area.
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Lakeland Police Department officers recovered the abandoned vehicle, finding the stolen liquor, cell phones, and a passport inside. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office joined the investigation, leading to the identification of the suspects.
Two of the individuals, Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charle, 25, and Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza, 26, were already in custody in Osceola County for a separate robbery at gunpoint. The other three suspects were identified as Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, 27, Darwins Smith Vasquez Leon, 28, and Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna, 26.
Arrest warrants were obtained for all five, charging them with robbery. Due to their alleged gang status, the robbery charge is elevated to a first-degree felony. Rodriguez-Benavides, Vasquez Leon, and Carpintero-Luna were arrested last night, April 17, 2025, in Osceola County.
All five suspects currently have ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detainers placed on them and are incarcerated.
Judd stated that Alexis Benavides and Samuel Charle are documented members of the Tren de Aragua gang, while the other three are gang associates. He noted that Benavides is also a suspect in a murder investigation in New Mexico and has ties to Illinois and Colorado.
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During the press conference, Judd slammed the Biden-era federal immigration policies, attributing the suspects’ presence and criminal activity to the “open border.”
“If you don’t think the federal immigration system is messed up? Here’s your sign,” said Judd.
Judd noted that four of the five crossed the border illegally through El Paso in 2023. Ildemaro Mendoza reportedly entered legally in 2016 as a minor league baseball prospect for the Detroit Tigers but failed to deport when his status expired.
“Mr President, we watch the news. We see what you say, what you’re trying to do,” Judd said, addressing President Trump. “You need to get someone to dig down and find out that, from my experience, your DHS people are trying hard. But quite frankly, I think you’re listening to a bunch of bureaucratic lawyers, as opposed to changing policy. You’re listening to lawyers, and lawyers will tell you the least. Risk occurs when you do nothing. But the reality is that there’s not much risk at all in doing what’s right.”
Judd pointed to the suspects’ extensive criminal histories, including immigration violations, various thefts, robbery, drug possession, resisting arrest, fraudulent use/possession of identification, false reports to law enforcement, robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence (listed as armed and dangerous), and driver’s license offenses. He said that none of the suspects were employed, stating they were “not working, not pretending to work, but they’re stealing.”
Polk County detectives are working with the Statewide Prosecutor and the Department of Homeland Security to file additional charges, potentially including organized crime and racketeering charges, which carry a 30-year minimum mandatory sentence.
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Judd praised the cooperation between the various law enforcement agencies involved, including the Lakeland Police Department, Osceola and Orange County Sheriff’s Offices, FDLE, U.S. Marshals, ICE, DHS, the Statewide Prosecutor, and the State Attorney’s Office. He also thanked Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for providing law enforcement with tools and legislation to enhance charges against such criminals.
Judd said the suspects would be prosecuted in Florida before facing potential deportation, stating that locking them up for a long time prevents them from immediately returning to the country or committing further crimes elsewhere. He concluded by criticizing the federal immigration system’s bureaucracy and calling for policy changes to expedite deportations of criminal illegal immigrants.
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