Deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Mojave Substation responded to a call about suspicious vehicles on April 8, 2026, in the 400 block of Silver Queen Road in Mojave, California. When deputies arrived, two box trucks were seen fleeing the area, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies conducted traffic stops on both vehicles and identified the occupants as Jose Lopez, 37, of San Bernardino; Ruben Lopez Flores, 25, of Los Angeles; and Freddy Hernandez Polinar, 35, of Chino.
A search of the box trucks revealed a large amount of Lego products. Deputies later located two stolen freight trailers in the area. The trailers had been taken while in transit from Fort Worth, Texas, to Moreno Valley, California, the sheriff’s office said.
One of the trailers displayed an Amazon logo. The loss from the stolen Lego products was reported to be approximately $1 million, according to the sheriff’s office.
The three men were arrested on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, cargo theft, and conspiracy, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies recovered the stolen Lego products and the two freight trailers. It was not immediately clear whether the men had been arraigned or had legal representation, the New York Times reported.
Lego products have become a target for thieves in recent years because the pieces and kits are small, untraceable, and hold high resale value on online marketplaces and other channels, according to law enforcement officials in prior cases.
Losses from reported cargo thefts nationwide rose to about $725 million in 2025, a 60 percent increase from 2024, according to CargoNet. Experts note that only a fraction of such thefts are reported, with the total annual economic cost estimated in the tens of billions of dollars.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case. The Kern County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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