GRAPEVINE, Texas — A group of men accused of stealing over 200 cars worth $9.3 million will face organized crime charges after an arrest operation in North Texas, police said.
The seven men arrested during a SWAT operation in March are charged with engaging in organized criminal activity, according to a press release from the Grapevine Police Department. Additional federal charges are expected, police said.
Seven suspects were arrested and charged in the case: Jeremiah Morel, Cristian Morel, Dylan Correa, Gavin Correa, Kevin Oates Jr, Jose Perez and Henry Actwood Jr., the release said.
A band of thieves stealing cars from public parking lots has been active in North Texas since 2022 and many of those thefts occurred within Grapevine, the release stated. From Jan. 1, 2023, through March 22, 2024, police recorded 316 separate reports of auto theft in Grapevine.
In 2023, two Grapevine detectives and a crime analyst began reviewing surveillance video, crime bulletins and social media posts to find the source of the thefts, the release stated. Their work helped the department identify several suspects and connected them to over 200 thefts in several cities across the metroplex, police said.
Patrol officers, SWAT and other agencies executed arrest warrants in Dallas and Garland in March. Police suspected that people inside the home were equipped with multiple guns, surveillance cameras and a tiger, officials said.
Officers served the warrants with no injuries, according to police.
The total confirmed loss linked to the ring is over $9.3 million and over 200 cars, police said.
