A group of criminal illegal aliens committing organized theft crimes in the central Florida area have been 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 $3,200.00. 

The suspects, described as Hispanic males, filled up the shopping cart with 14 cases of liquor. 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, 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 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 Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charle, 25, and Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza, 26. Once the three other suspects were identified – Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, 27, Darwins Smith Vasquez Leon, 28, and Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna, 26 - 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. 

Rodriguez-Benavides, Vasquez Leon, and Carpintero-Luna were arrested last night, April 17, 2025, 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 Argua gang members, and the three others are gang associates. The suspects are linked to over three dozen retail thefts across the central Florida area 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. 

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.