7 suspects identified after largest jewelry heist in U.S. history

The logo for the U.S. Justice Department is seen before a news conference, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES — Seven people have been identified and charged with stalking an armoured truck to a rural freeway rest stop north of Los Angeles and stealing US$100 million worth of diamonds, emeralds and more in what is believed to be the largest jewelry heist in U.S. history, federal authorities announced Tuesday.

Two of the seven suspects have been arrested and were due in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, court records showed. Four of them remained at-large Tuesday, while one of the suspects is serving prison time in Arizona for an unrelated burglary and was expected to appear in court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

Pablo Raul Lugo Larroig and Jeson Nelon Presilla Flores were arrested Monday, and both have been indicted on federal theft and conspiracy charges, authorities said. The Associated Press sent emailed requests Tuesday seeking comment from their lawyers.

The heist unfolded in July 2022 after the suspects scouted the armoured truck leaving an international jewelry show near San Francisco with 73 bags of jewelry, according to the indictment.

The suspects followed the truck for roughly 300 miles (482 kilometres) to the rest stop north of Los Angeles, making off with 24 of the bags that authorities said also contained gold, rubies and luxury watches.

Some of the jewelry has since been recovered, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in California said Tuesday in a news release.

Some of the suspects are also charged with other robberies, including one in March 2022 when US$240,000 worth of electronics was taken from a truck.

The indictment says some of the defendants would act as lookouts, while the others would break into trucks and steal the merchandise, sometimes by force or by threatening violence against the drivers.