Stolen Cars in the US are Smuggled to Mexico, Making Recovery All But Impossible
Catherine Vermillion's return home from a month-long trip was met with a shocking discovery: her car was gone. She had left it parked in San Diego, but when she checked her AirTag, it showed that her vehicle had been driven across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
Vermillion's experience is not an isolated incident. According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) data, stolen vehicles from the US have seen a 79% increase over the past four years, with organized theft rings targeting high-end SUVs and performance cars. These vehicles are then smuggled into Mexico, where they often become involved in the country's illicit trafficking networks.
"It's a lucrative business," said CHP Lt. David Navarro. "It's hard to track and recover those cars once they cross the border."
The lack of coordination between US and Mexican law enforcement agencies makes it difficult to combat this issue. When Vermillion reported her car stolen, local police in San Diego were unable to assist her due to jurisdictional restrictions.
"We cannot cross that line," Navarro explained. "If a vehicle is stolen in the middle of the night, and the victim does not wake up until 7 am, they have roughly five hours to report it. If the car is not reported in the system and passes through cameras, it will not be detected."
Vermillion's Jeep was tracked to a lot in Tijuana, where it was eventually recovered by repo man Phil Mohr. Mohr has spent 20 years tracking down stolen cars in Mexico and works closely with local law enforcement to repossess vehicles.
"It feels like a win," Mohr said of recovering Vermillion's car. "It feels like you made it right, that you righted a wrong in the world."
For Vermillion, getting her car back was a dream come true. However, for many, this experience never comes. The lack of effective collaboration between US and Mexican authorities has left victims with little hope of recovering their stolen vehicles.
The smuggling of stolen cars from the US to Mexico is a complex issue that requires concerted efforts from both countries to combat. Until then, victims like Vermillion will continue to face the frustrating reality of having their property taken and being unable to get it back.
Catherine Vermillion's return home from a month-long trip was met with a shocking discovery: her car was gone. She had left it parked in San Diego, but when she checked her AirTag, it showed that her vehicle had been driven across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
Vermillion's experience is not an isolated incident. According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) data, stolen vehicles from the US have seen a 79% increase over the past four years, with organized theft rings targeting high-end SUVs and performance cars. These vehicles are then smuggled into Mexico, where they often become involved in the country's illicit trafficking networks.
"It's a lucrative business," said CHP Lt. David Navarro. "It's hard to track and recover those cars once they cross the border."
The lack of coordination between US and Mexican law enforcement agencies makes it difficult to combat this issue. When Vermillion reported her car stolen, local police in San Diego were unable to assist her due to jurisdictional restrictions.
"We cannot cross that line," Navarro explained. "If a vehicle is stolen in the middle of the night, and the victim does not wake up until 7 am, they have roughly five hours to report it. If the car is not reported in the system and passes through cameras, it will not be detected."
Vermillion's Jeep was tracked to a lot in Tijuana, where it was eventually recovered by repo man Phil Mohr. Mohr has spent 20 years tracking down stolen cars in Mexico and works closely with local law enforcement to repossess vehicles.
"It feels like a win," Mohr said of recovering Vermillion's car. "It feels like you made it right, that you righted a wrong in the world."
For Vermillion, getting her car back was a dream come true. However, for many, this experience never comes. The lack of effective collaboration between US and Mexican authorities has left victims with little hope of recovering their stolen vehicles.
The smuggling of stolen cars from the US to Mexico is a complex issue that requires concerted efforts from both countries to combat. Until then, victims like Vermillion will continue to face the frustrating reality of having their property taken and being unable to get it back.
. I remember when I was on spring break in college, my friend had his car stolen too, but it wasn't like that back then. We were lucky if the police even bothered to file a report. Nowadays, it's like they're running a black market across the border or something.
. Anyway, I hope they catch these car thieves and bring them to justice... but until then, I'll be over here feeling nostalgic for the good old days 
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... but on a more positive note, there are some amazing people like Phil Mohr doing his part to track down those cars and make things right 
. I mean, 20 years of tracking down stolen cars is no joke! He's like a modern-day detective, working closely with local law enforcement to bring those cars back home 
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. I'm not sure what the solution is yet, but I have faith that we'll get there eventually 
. In the meantime, let's all just keep being optimistic about the people like Phil Mohr who are making a difference in their communities 
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This is so wild! I mean, who would've thought that stolen cars in the US are just getting smuggled across the border to Mexico? It's crazy to think about how easy it must be for these thieves to sell them on the black market and make a profit. 
The lack of coordination between law enforcement agencies is just ridiculous. Can't they work together to track down these stolen cars? 
And what really gets me is that some people are making a living off of this, like Phil Mohr. I mean, I get it, he's got skills and all, but still... 
It's just frustrating for victims like Catherine Vermillion who are left with nothing. 
! But seriously, its so messed up that law enforcement agencies in the us and mexico dont work together better. Its not just about the car, its about the people who lose their livelihoods or their safety when they cant recover their property. We need more coordination and cooperation between our countries to tackle this issue 
, but have you ever thought about what makes some people more inclined to steal cars in the first place? 
. Are we dealing with a black market for cars? It's a tough nut to crack, but I think that's why coordination between US and Mexican law enforcement is so crucial. We need to be able to share info and work together to stop these car smuggling operations.
i dont think anyone should have 2 go thru that stress n frustration. i mean, what r they gonna do? just leave them stranded @ home while their cars are makin money in mexico lol. anyway, its super sad 4 ppl like Catherine who cant even get her car back. 
I mean, what's up with these organized theft rings? They're basically doing a carjacking and then just driving it right across the border like it's nothing. And the US cops can't even track them because of jurisdictional issues? 
It's like they're laughing all the way to Mexico! The lack of coordination between law enforcement is insane. What's gonna stop these thieves from selling our cars on the black market and making a fortune off 'em? 
i wish they could work together more closely to solve this problem 
We can't keep living like this, where people are getting scammed and their property gets lost in the system. It's just not right. 
people are getting taken advantage of & it's just getting worse! 
it's all about coordination & communication... 
it's frustrating for victims like Catherine Vermillion who are left feeling helpless 
i mean, i thought Mexico had some pretty strict laws against human trafficking and stuff, but apparently that's not true for stolen cars either? 
it's like, they're more worried about making sure everyone follows the rules and stuff, but not enough about actually solving crimes.
it feels like we're basically handing these thieves free passes because we can't coordinate our efforts properly. 
. We need better solutions to tackle this issue, pronto! 
and now the cops in both countries are not even cooperating with each other? 
rep man phil mohr is like a superhero or something! 
anyway, this whole thing needs to be addressed ASAP, it's not cool how the system is failing ppl 
the coordination between law enforcement agencies is basically non-existent, so what's the point of even trying to track these things down?