Thirteen people are facing federal charges in an investigation into an alleged scheme to transport stolen vehicles from across the United States into Mexico for use by criminal organizations, federal officials announced Monday.

The investigation, called Operation Southbound Takedown, began in spring 2026 after federal agents and prosecutors identified a pattern of privately owned and rental vehicles allegedly being stolen, driven to El Paso and transported across the border to individuals associated with Mexican cartels.

Investigators have recovered 29 vehicles valued at approximately $1. 137 million as part of the investigation, according to federal officials.