A stolen Rolls-Royce snatched from a valet stand triggered a sweeping crackdown on a $1.5 million luxury car theft ring, exposing a network of high-end vehicle smugglers in North Texas.
At a Glance
- Nearly $1.5 million in luxury vehicles recovered in multi-agency sting.
- Theft of a 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre launched the investigation on June 6.
- Three suspects arrested, including a man with 15 felony warrants.
- Police seized guns, tactical vests, and stolen high-end cars.
Valet Grab Leads to Criminal Empire
The entire bust began with what seemed like a one-off theft: on June 6, a 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre vanished from a valet stand outside a high-end Plano, Texas shopping complex.
Surveillance footage revealed a 2025 Mercedes S63 AMG as the getaway car, but that clue opened a Pandora’s box. From this luxury grab, detectives traced the operation to a ring spanning multiple cities in North Texas, targeting elite car brands with precision.
Watch a report: Luxury Car Heist Ring Busted
Guns, Armor, and a $1 Million Bail
After just five days, law enforcement swept in with coordinated raids across the region. The sting netted three suspects, including Oscar Ivan Valdez, 24, believed to be the ringleader and now jailed under a $1 million bond due to 15 active felony warrants. Brothers Salvador and Miguel Angel Hernandez, 21 and 22, were also arrested and later released on $50,000 bonds each.
Recovered vehicles included not only the luxurious Rolls-Royce Spectre but also an impressive Cullinan SUV, a high-performance Cadillac Escalade-V, and a powerful Audi RS7. In addition to the vehicles, investigators confiscated tactical body armor and several firearms, indicating that the operation involves a well-resourced and potentially armed network.
The Plano Police have confirmed that the case is still developing and may escalate to federal prosecution as more individuals involved in the operation are identified. Authorities are taking this matter seriously, given the sophistication and scale of the operation uncovered so far.
