Police arrest two after 80-mile car chase linked to suspected train burglary.
PEACH SPRINGS, Ariz. — Two people are in the Mohave County Jail after an 80-mile police chase that ended in a crash near the California state line.
The Hualapai Tribal Police said the two, and 8 others who got away in a separate car, are suspected of participating in a train burglary.
Train heists in 2025? Turns out, they’re not that rare.
Investigators say thousands have happened nationwide, with dozens of arrests already made.
Here’s how it works: the burglars somehow climb onto the trains and force them to stop. Court documents say they can and cut the brakes, forcing an emergency stop, or damage railway infrastructure that makes the train stop out of caution.
A “follow car” marks the location of the stop while thieves toss cargo off the train and stash it nearby. Once the train moves on and no cops are around, the thieves come back with box trucks to haul it away.
Prosecutors say this isn’t just a bunch of thieves — this is organized crime. Court documents point to an alleged ringleader tied to a Sinaloa railway burglary ring, running train heists for 11 years. When police finally busted him last June, they also arrested 43 people, seized 41 cars, 700 pounds of meth, and $3 million in stolen property. But even with him behind bars, the heists haven’t stopped.
The same court documents detail years of train heists for things like Nike shoes and electronics.
Last year alone, according to the Association of American Railroads, 64,000 train burglaries cost rail companies more than $100 million…some of that in damages.
BNSF tells 12News it’s pushing for a federal task force to crack down on cargo theft. A spokesperson issued a statement, saying:
“BNSF has robust security protocols, and our police department is focused on preventing these incidents on our network. We work hard to protect our customers’ freight from pickup to delivery and have security measures in place to help ensure these goods arrive safely. We are working with federal, state, local, and tribal police departments to coordinate our approach to disrupting criminal activity and arresting offenders. It’s essential that the entire criminal justice system, including policymakers, district attorneys and judges, focus on this crime trend and help to ensure these criminals are held responsible and prosecuted. These are not victimless crimes, particularly when many of these packages include much-needed medicine, food, and critical supplies necessary for everyday life.”
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The post Mohave County chase nabs train burglary suspects appeared first on World Online.
