Louisville police recover 30 stolen, cloned vehicles in part of nationwide stolen car ring

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Police recovered 30 stolen/cloned vehicles that were part of a nationwide stolen car ring.

Police said Sixth Division Impact Detectives and several other units executed multiple search warrants on Monday in Jefferson County after a long-term investigation for the "criminal enterprise stolen car ring."

According to police, suspects were involved in vehicle cloning, title falsifications and narcotics distribution.

The FBI defines vehicle cloning as, "stealing the identity of a legitimately owned vehicle and slapping it onto a stolen car." This often comes in the form of removing the VIN numbers of stolen vehicles and replacing them with the VIN numbers of legitimate vehicles.

Along with the 30 vehicles recovered, LMPD also found three car haulers, a travel trailer and a boat. Detectives also seized cocaine and marijuana.

Police called it "Operation Havana Highway."

The vehicles are all now in LMPD's tow lot. The list of vehicles includes Tahoes, Denalis, Range Rovers, Corvettes, a Bentley and a Maserati.

The estimated value of all the vehicles is more than $3.1 million.

LMPD charged Andy Luis Junco Cruz and sources said there are five others involved. Four of the vehicles were found in the 9600 block of Blue Lick Road.

Cruz admitted to having possession of the four vehicles.