A group of criminal illegal aliens linked to Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang committing organized theft crimes in the Central Florida area were arrested by Polk County Sheriff’s Organized Retail Crime Unit detectives. The group is suspected of committing crimes across the Central Florida area, and detectives are working with the Statewide Prosecutor to file additional organized crime charges against them.
In early March 2025, store personnel at the Sam’s Club in north Lakeland contacted law enforcement regarding a group of five suspects who forcibly attempted to steal a shopping cart filled with high-end liquor valued at $3,200.
The suspects, described as Hispanic males, filled up the shopping cart with 14 cases of liquor, according to law enforcement. As they proceeded toward the exit, an employee grabbed the cart to stop them, but they rammed the cart into the employee, injuring her. She was able to keep them from moving the cart any further, but they grabbed two cases of liquor out of the cart and ran to a silver Ford Focus, then drove away.
The Focus became disabled as they tried to drive it over a concrete curb in the parking lot, and the suspects left it behind fleeing the area on foot. Through their investigation, local detectives determined they eventually summoned an Uber and left the area.
The Lakeland Police Department responded to the scene to recover the abandoned vehicle. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office joined in the investigation, and during a search of the vehicle, detectives found the stolen liquor, cell phones, and a passport.
Two of the suspects were positively identified and detectives determined they were incarcerated in Osceola County for a different robbery. Those suspects are 25-year-old Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charle and 26-year-old Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza. Once the three other suspects were identified – 27-year-old Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, 28-year-old Darwins Smith Vasquez Leon, and 26-year-old Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna – PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants charging all five with robbery, which is upgraded to a first degree felony due to their gang status.
All of the suspects are in the United States illegally from Venezuela according to local law enforcement.
Rodriguez-Benavides, Vasquez Leon, and Carpintero-Luna were arrested in Osceola County. All five suspects have ICE detainers placed on them. All are currently incarcerated.
Two of the suspects – Alexis Benavides and Samuel Charle – are known Tren de Aragua gang members, and the three others are gang associates. The suspects are linked to over three dozen retail thefts across Central Florida in five judicial districts with total losses estimated at over $30,000.
The statewide prosecutor and Department of Homeland Security are working with detectives to charge the suspects accordingly.
According to local law enforcement, the suspects have criminal histories including immigration violations, thefts, robbery, drug possession, resisting arrest, fraudulent use of and possession of personal identification, false reports to law enforcement, robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence (listed as armed and dangerous), and driver’s license offenses.
