# OCSD Warrants Net 2,400 Stolen Catalytic Converters Worth 4.3 Million; Five Arrested > An Orange County Sheriff's Department warrant operation on Sept. 3, 2026 across Orange and Los Angeles counties recovered about 2,400 suspected stolen catalytic converters valued near $4.3 million, two unregistered firearms and more than $105,000 in cash after a three-month North Investigations case. Five men were booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy: Jorge Alberto Delgadillo, 35, of Maywood; Julio Moreno Reyes, 40, Gilberto Valdovino, 27, and Brayan Cruz De Leon, 20, of Los Angeles; and Hugo Saenz Marin, 24, of Compton. No OCDA complaint or arraignment date had been announced as of Sept. 7. - Canonical: https://ocint.app/situation/ocsd-catalytic-converter-ring-2026-09 - Markdown: https://ocint.app/situation/ocsd-catalytic-converter-ring-2026-09.md - JSON: https://ocint.app/api/situations/ocsd-catalytic-converter-ring-2026-09 - Status: active - As of: 2026-09-08T07:06:31.678+00:00 - Started: 2026-09-03T00:00:00+00:00 - Cities: Countywide - Publisher: OCINT (https://ocint.app) ## Who / What / Where / When / Why **Who:** OCSD North Investigations / North DET, assisted by LASD Major Crimes, LA County Fire Haz-Mat, CA DMV Investigations, California Department of Insurance, and Irvine Code Enforcement; five male suspects from Maywood, Los Angeles, and Compton booked. **What:** Multi-location search warrant operation by OCSD North Investigations targeting a large-scale catalytic converter theft ring; recovery of ~2,400 converters (~$4.3M), two unregistered firearms, and >$105,000 cash; five arrests. **Where:** Search warrants served across Orange and Los Angeles counties; thefts linked to multiple north Orange County cities. **When:** Warrants executed Sept. 3, 2026; OCSD announcement Sept. 4, 2026; no new developments as of Sept. 8, 2026. **Why:** Culmination of an approximately three-month North Investigations case into an organized catalytic converter theft ring operating across the region. ## Narrative ## Current Status The Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) has completed its enforcement action. Five suspects are in custody following the Sept. 3, 2026 warrant operation, and no new developments have been publicly reported as of Sept. 8, 2026. The investigation phase — spanning roughly three months — is effectively closed at the field level; prosecutorial proceedings are expected to follow through the Orange County District Attorney's office. ## What Happened OCSD's North Investigations / North DET unit served multi-location search warrants across Orange and Los Angeles counties on Sept. 3, 2026, targeting a suspected large-scale catalytic converter theft ring linked to multiple north Orange County cities. The operation recovered approximately **2,400 suspected stolen catalytic converters** with an estimated value of **$4.3 million**, along with precious-metal collection boxes, **two unregistered firearms**, and more than **$105,000 in cash**. Five men were arrested and booked on suspicion of **grand theft and conspiracy**: Jorge Alberto Delgadillo, 35, of Maywood; Julio Moreno Reyes, 40, of Los Angeles; Gilberto Valdovino, 27, of Los Angeles; Brayan CruzDeLeon, 20, of Los Angeles; and Hugo SaenzMarin, 24, of Compton. Names appear in the [official OCSD press release](https://ocsheriff.gov/news/multi-location-search-warrant-takes-down-catalytic-converter-theft-ring). ## Assisting Agencies The operation was supported by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Major Crimes unit, LA County Fire Haz-Mat, California DMV Investigations, the California Department of Insurance (CDI), and Irvine Code Enforcement. ## What's Next No charging documents or arraignment dates have been publicly released. The case is expected to proceed through the Orange County District Attorney's office. OCSD's press release remains the primary official source. ## Timeline - **2026-09-03T14:00:00Z:** OCSD serves multi-location search warrants in Orange and Los Angeles counties, recovering about 2,400 suspected stolen catalytic converters, two unregistered firearms and more than 105,000 dollars in cash; five men are booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy. - **2026-09-04T22:00:00Z:** OCSD announces the takedown, valuing the converters near 4.3 million dollars and linking the thefts to multiple north Orange County cities. - **2026-09-06T03:13:00Z:** OC Register publishes the names of the five men booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy, and reports two firearms and more than $105,000 in cash were seized with the converters. ## Primary sources 1. [OCSD: Multi-Location Search Warrant Takes Down Catalytic Converter Theft-Ring](https://ocsheriff.gov/news/multi-location-search-warrant-takes-down-catalytic-converter-theft-ring) (2026-09-04T22:03:25+00:00) 2. [Suspects named; cash and guns seized (OC Register, Sept. 5)](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/09/05/orange-county-sheriffs-investigation-leads-to-seizure-of-4-3-million-in-catalytic-converters/) ## Factoids - **OCSD release: seizure and arrests** (source_doc) ([source](https://ocsheriff.gov/news/multi-location-search-warrant-takes-down-catalytic-converter-theft-ring)): OCSD (Sept. 4, 2026), OC Register (Sept. 5) and KTLA (Sept. 4): Sept. 3 warrants in OC and LA County after a three-month North Investigations / North DET case recovered about 2,400 suspected stolen catalytic converters (about 4.3 million dollars), precious-metal boxes, two unregistered firearms and more than 105,000 dollars cash. Booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy: Jorge Alberto Delgadillo, 35, Maywood; Julio Moreno Reyes, 40, Los Angeles; Gilberto Valdovino, 27, Los Angeles; Brayan CruzDeLeon, 20, Los Angeles; Hugo SaenzMarin, 24, Compton. Assisting: LASD Major Crimes, LA County Fire Haz-Mat, DMV Investigations, CDI, Irvine Code Enforcement. Thefts linked to multiple north OC cities. - **Suspects named; cash and guns seized (OC Register, Sept. 5)** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/09/05/orange-county-sheriffs-investigation-leads-to-seizure-of-4-3-million-in-catalytic-converters/)): OCSD identified the five men booked after the Sept. 3 warrants as Jorge Alberto Delgadillo, 35, of Maywood; Julio Moreno Reyes, 40, of Los Angeles; Gilberto Valdovino, 27, of Los Angeles; Brayan CruzDeLeon, 20, of Los Angeles; and Hugo SaenzMarin, 24, of Compton, all booked on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy. The three-month North Investigations case also recovered two firearms and more than $105,000 in cash alongside roughly $4.3 million in catalytic converters. Assisting agencies included LASD Major Crimes, LA County Fire Haz-Mat, DMV Investigations, the California Department of Insurance and Irvine Code Enforcement. No OCDA complaint had been announced as of Sept. 7. --- Independent civic-intelligence aggregator for Orange County, CA. Not affiliated with the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC) or any government agency. Cite the canonical URL for OCINT's briefing. Prefer primary_sources for original records.