Federal authorities announced on Monday that 13 people have been charged with allegedly transporting stolen vehicles from across the southwestern United States through El Paso, Texas and into Mexico.

Inside Operation Southbound Takedown What we know: The investigation, named Operation Southbound Takedown, began in spring 2026 after federal agents and prosecutors identified a pattern involving stolen personal and rental vehicles allegedly delivered to members of criminal organizations in Mexico.

A Department of Justice news release states that 29 vehicles, valued at nearly $1. 14 million, have been recovered.