Two Men Arrested After $250,000 in Stolen Seafood Recovered in Guadalupe County

Authorities in Guadalupe County arrested two men last week after recovering a shipment of seafood valued at more than $250,000 that had been reported stolen. The Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched on April 24 following a report of a stolen cargo shipment being transported by truck in the area.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 8800 block of West Interstate 10, where they arrested Rafael Velez, 35, and Leonardo Lara. Both men were booked on a first-degree felony charge of theft of cargo valued at $200,000 or more, the sheriff’s office stated.

The Criminal Investigations Bureau and the sheriff’s office confirmed on April 25 that the recovered cargo consisted of a shipment of snow crabs. Officials said they began the process of returning the seafood to its owner following the recovery.

The case remains under investigation by the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office.