Yearlong San Diego auto-theft crackdown nets dozens of arrests

A yearlong undercover investigation into auto theft, drug offenses and an array of associated crimes in the San Diego area netted dozens of arrests this week, authorities reported Thursday.

The multi-agency investigation, dubbed "Operation Sunrise," dismantled crime rings throughout the county and resulted in a total of 100 pending prosecutions, according to the San Diego Regional Auto Theft Task Force, which headed the effort.

On Wednesday, personnel with various local law enforcement agencies arrested 31 people indicted by a grand jury in the case, RATT reported. Nineteen suspects remain at large.

The defendants will face various felony charges, including burglary; grand theft; insurance fraud; vehicle and identity theft; possession of stolen property; being felons in possession of firearms; selling cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine; and illegal sales of guns, ammunition and high-capacity firearm magazines.

Over the course of the 12-month operation, authorities seized illicit narcotics and 14 guns, and recovered 172 stolen vehicles with an estimated combined value of $3.3 million, officials said.

Last year, a total of 198,538 vehicles were stolen statewide, representing an estimated $1.76 billion in losses to the victims, RATT reported. The San Diego area ranked as the third-highest among California counties for vehicle theft in 2022, according to the regional agency