BY CHRISTINE SOUZA

AgAlert

As part of a monthslong investigation known as Operation Tractor Pull, California law enforcement agencies have uncovered an organized agriculture equipment theft ring that targeted San Joaquin Valley farms.

“This is a large-scale theft ring impacting our farmers, our ranchers and our agricultural community,” said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux during an Oct. 29 press conference. “All of the findings led us to a very sophisticated effort of thieves trafficking heavy agricultural machinery as an organized criminal activity far beyond the Central Valley and across the border into Mexico.”

After conducting extensive surveillance operations throughout the San Joaquin Valley, authorities said evidence collected accounted for 24 pieces of stolen equipment valued at more than $2.25 million. Authorities recovered $1.3 million worth of equipment.

The investigation began in March, when the county’s Ag Crimes Unit detectives learned about a backhoe that was stolen near Delano. Days later, the stolen vehicle recovery system, known as LoJack, alerted detectives that the missing backhoe was at a truck stop in Tulare, Boudreaux said. Detectives found the stolen equipment loaded in the back of a semitruck, which he said is not the legal method for transporting large equipment. They also discovered a second backhoe and an excavator reported missing from Kings County. The truck drivers told detectives they were hauling stolen agricultural equipment across the Central Valley and into Mexico, Boudreaux added.

A month later, Stanislaus County issued information about two other suspects connected to large agriculture equipment thefts. The alert broadened the investigation, and by June he said detectives established that a sophisticated network of thieves was responsible for theft of heavy equipment used by agriculture and construction.

As part of the investigation, authorities late last month served six separate search warrants in Los Banos, Hollister, Riverdale and Lindsay. Detectives recovered more stolen equipment and phones, surveillance cameras and $46,000 cash. Drugs and guns were also recovered.

Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the operation on suspicion of grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and receiving stolen property, Boudreaux said. Five suspects remain at large, he said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The multi-agency operation included participation by law enforcement from eight California counties, including district attorneys’ offices, city police departments, California Highway Patrol, California Rural Crimes Prevention Task Force and National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni, who spoke during the press conference, said, “We are working hard and doing our very best to ensure that we can provide security for our farmers in our agricultural industry.

“We have to do our job and ensure that we can arrest individuals like this to ensure they’re not out stealing from our farmers, making things cost more and making it almost impossible for our farmers and ranchers and those in the agriculture industry to do their jobs,” Zanoni added.

Tulare County farmer Zack Stuller, who grows citrus, persimmons and other tree crops, said his new, $150,000 backhoe that was stolen in May was not recovered in the bust.

This past spring, after he noticed that his 2024 Caterpillar 420 backhoe was taken from his equipment yard near Exeter, he said he alerted Tulare County Ag Crimes Unit detectives.

“Monday morning, I went by the yard and I’m like, where’s the new backhoe? It wasn’t there,” said Stuller, who is president of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. “You can see tracks where they drove it across the street and loaded it on a big semitrailer.”

Farmers are routinely hit by thieves, but Stuller said the theft of the large machinery required a high level of sophistication.

“They knew what they were doing,” Stuller said. “They knew how to start the backhoe. They had a key to start it and knew the default factory passcode and knew how to remove the tracker, so this wasn’t random.”

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Ag Crimes Unit Sgt. Joe Armstrong said many thieves know how to disable tracking systems, so it is important to find ways to keep them hidden. The suspects in the large-scale theft , he said, took every effort to remove any factory-installed GPS tracking system. Because thieves are familiar with the equipment, Armstrong said he recommends farmers “harden their targets” by strengthening security measures.

It is not always convenient for farmers to move large equipment out of the field, but he suggests they store equipment in a fenced, locked yard and install lighting, security cameras and “get a big, mean dog.” Farmers are also reminded to apply for an Owner-Applied Number, or OAN, to put identifying markings on equipment and property so that recovered property can be traced and returned. Farmers can learn more by visiting https://crcptf.org/oan-info.

— Courtesy of the California Farm Bureau.