FBI Arrests Hialeah Gardens Cop Jorge Romero for Being Part of Thief Gang

For 13 years, Hialeah Gardens Police Officer Jorge Romero has been charged with patrolling his city for crime. This morning he found himself charged with an actual crime. FBI agents arrested him for alleged participation in a gang of thieves that terrorized cargo trucks and made off with valuable merchandise...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

August 9, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

For 13 years, Hialeah Gardens Police Officer Jorge Romero has been charged with patrolling his city for crime. This morning he found himself charged with an actual crime. FBI agents arrested him for alleged participation in a gang of thieves that terrorized cargo trucks and made off with valuable merchandise.

After a cargo truck carrying laptops worth around $1.9 million was burglarized in Hialeah Gardens in July 2010, the Hialeah Gardens Police Department began investigating the crime, until the FBI stepped in and claimed jurisdiction. Because the cargo originated in Georgia, it was an interstate crime.

However, the case ended in the office of Hialeah Gardens Police Chief Van Toth.

Police arrested Romero this morning at 7:05, according to El Nuevo Herald. He was immediately suspended from the force without pay. Six others believed to have been involved in the burglary were also arrested, but no others were members of the force. Two other suspects believe to be involved are still at large.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.