LOS ANGELES – Last week, officers in the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) Cargo Theft and Investment Fraud Unit (CTIFU) recovered an estimated $1.46 million in stolen Nike sneakers. Continuing their response to organized theft, authorities from a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies arrested 41-year-old Alejandro Aguilar-Espinoza in connection with the theft of train cargo carrying sneakers, tools, and electronics.
📦 $1.46M Worth of Stolen Nike Sneakers Recovered in LA
Police in Los Angeles have recovered more than $1.46 million in stolen Nike sneakers following the CoolKicks LA raid.⁰
Detectives arrested a 41-year-old suspect linked to a major train cargo theft that included Nike shoes,… pic.twitter.com/7ieFyqxA8j— Sneaker Bar Detroit (@SBDetroit) October 10, 2025
The operation resulted from a search warrant executed on October 6th at a residence on Verona Street in the city’s East L.A. district. Officers found stacks of boxed Nike shoes, along with stolen Milwaukee tools and electronic gear. The case was driven by a partnership between the Union Pacific Railroad Police, Port Police, and District Attorney’s Office, which has recently been cracking down on the area’s stolen-goods pipeline.
For the sneaker community, however, it carries an extra poignancy. From reselling culture to hypebeast crime dramas, LA is a known nexus for sneaker black-market activity. To find these genuine Nikes under the grip of a criminal syndicate might seem symbolic to some sneaker fans, because while demand for kicks is deep, the underground market is deep and lucrative.
LAPD officials have lauded the multi-agency collaboration, which they say protects the integrity of supply chains in Southern California. Detectives are still searching for additional suspects and expect the investigation to continue.
Such stories of the sneaker world crossing paths with organized crime have made a semi-regular splash in LA headlines lately. Stolen sneakers from store raids and intercepted bootlegs are the latest in a lineup that seems to keep expanding. For sneaker collectors, the lesson here may just be that nothing in their favorite world is off-limits.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the LAPD’s Cargo Theft Unit at (213) 486-8766 or submit a tip through L.A. Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline.
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