Midwest

Crime lords turn Motor City into car-theft supermarket for Middle East buyers: ‘Somebody’s getting paid’

Published

3 months ago

December 27, 2025

Crime lords turn Motor City into car-theft supermarket for Middle East buyers: ‘Somebody’s getting paid’

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An uptick in international organized crime groups smuggling stolen vehicles from the Motor City to countries in the Middle East is alarming law enforcement officials looking to crack down on the thefts, as experts say criminals are leveraging juveniles to do their dirty work.

In September, eight men were indicted in federal court for allegedly operating a car theft and international smuggling operation in Detroit, Michigan, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan said in a news release.

According to the 12-count indictment, the eight suspects conspired among themselves and others to coordinate the deliveries of stolen vehicles at one of four commercial or industrial lots throughout the Detroit metropolitan area. Once the vehicles were delivered, prosecutors said the men would pack at least two of the stolen vehicles into shipping containers and send them to nearby port cities by freight or rail.

Once the containers arrived at the various port cities, the containers transporting the cars would allegedly be shipped overseas.

AMERICAN TRUCKING INDUSTRY URGES LAWMAKERS TO ACT AS ONLINE CARGO THEFT SURGES

Trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Canada, on March 4, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

“A lot of the cars were shipped to the Middle East,” Dearborn Police Cpl. Daniel Bartok told FOX 2, including locations like Iraq and Dubai.

The suspects have been identified as Haydar Al Haydari, 41, of Garden City; Karar Alnakash, 43, of Detroit; Abbas Al Othman, 42; of Dearborn Heights; Mohammed Al Hilo, 36, of Detroit; Moustapha Al Fetlawi, 46, of Dearborn Heights; Terrill Davis, 33, of Detroit; David Roshinsky Williams, 32, of Harper Woods; and Mohammed Al Abboodi, 35, of Detroit, according to federal prosecutors.

All eight men are charged with one count of conspiracy to transport stolen vehicles and one or more counts of transportation of a stolen vehicle, prosecutors said.

ICE, CBP SEIZE 400 FIREARMS HIDDEN IN FAKE TRAILER WALLS AT SOUTHERN BORDER CROSSING

The Port Detroit Port Authority at the General Motors Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Dominic Gwinn / Middle East Images via AFP via Getty Images)

“Our efforts have led to the recovery of over 350 stolen vehicles and behind every one of those stolen cars is a victim,” ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz said in a statement. “Our HSI special agents and law enforcement partners will continue to do the work necessary to take down these operations that harm everyday Americans.”

The recent indictment is merely the latest in what has become a surge in vehicle thefts throughout Michigan in recent years.

In 2023, the state saw 28,408 reported cases of motor vehicle thefts, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. The uptick marked a 4.1% increase in thefts when compared to the previous year, and a 48.4% spike when compared to data from the past five years.

The Michigan Department of Attorney General did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

CRIMINAL NETWORKS EXPLOIT US INTERSTATES TO MAKE HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS VANISH: ‘REAL PLAGUE’

Trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge as they carry cargo between Canada and the United States on Feb. 3, 2025, in Detroit, Michigan. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“I think any large metropolitan area has some auto theft issues,” Kyle McPhee, a stolen vehicle identification specialist and retired detective sergeant with the Michigan State Police, told Fox News Digital. “Detroit happens to be a port city. You can put something in a shipping container and it can be at a port in no time.”

Organized crime groups will often swipe vehicles from a manufacturer’s lot or ones simply parked on the street, with some criminals recruiting juveniles due to the less harsh legal penalties for minors, according to McPhee.

“They’ll pay juveniles very little to go out and bring these vehicles back to wherever they’re going to cool them off,” McPhee said. “They’ll remove any tracking devices and they might cut the vehicle up so they can put it in a shipping container and call it ‘auto parts.’ Then when it gets to its destination, they might reassemble it.”

ICE SAYS IT TOOK DOWN GROUP LINKED TO VIOLENT HOME INVASIONS IN TEXAS; VIDEO SHOWS VICTIM CHASED, ATTACKED

The Marathon refinery is pictured in Detroit, Michigan, on Oct. 14, 2024. (Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)

Once a shipping container arrives at port, McPhee said criminals will often fabricate the manifest logs to fool officials regarding its contents.

“They’ll say ‘household goods,’ and there might be five cars in there and two mattresses,” McPhee added.

The process makes it nearly impossible for authorities to verify the contents of each of the millions of containers passing through each port every year, with organized crime groups within the United States often coordinating with international criminals, according to McPhee.

SOPHISTICATED PORCH PIRATE RING HACKED SHIPMENT TRACKING INFO TO STEAL HUNDREDS OF PHONES, PROSECUTOR SAYS

“They have backscatter machines and x-rays that look into the shipping containers, but you’re talking about a million shipping containers on some of these ports are tough,” McPhee said. “It’s a tough duty. You have to also be careful of what’s coming into the country, and now we have to look at what’s going out.”

The rise in vehicle thefts throughout Michigan has led state officials to create the Auto Fraud Task Force (AFTF) earlier this year.

The unit combats both auto insurance fraud and large-scale criminal auto theft operations within Metro Detroit by partnering with various law enforcement agencies throughout the area, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General.

“With the rise of auto thefts across our communities, expanding the Auto Fraud Task Force is an important step to strengthen our fight against both vehicle theft and insurance fraud, crimes that impact far too many Michigan residents each year,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Through this new structure, we are enhancing our efforts to dismantle these sophisticated, organized auto crime enterprises across our state.”

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As authorities race to track down stolen vehicles before they are loaded onto shipping containers, while also investigating how criminal groups on American soil are working with international crime organizations, McPhee insisted there is one key component in what is driving the uptick in vehicle thefts throughout Michigan.

“The one key connection is somebody’s getting paid,” McPhee told Fox News Digital. “There’s money to be made. So if you have a local organized gang, they can be connected internationally to another group very easily. We have the internet, it’s not hard.”

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.

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Indiana

Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana

Published

3 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana

Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life. The decision marked the first time in tournament history that the final weeks of the college basketball season would not be played, squashing Atlanta’s plans to host the Final Four.

When the following year rolled around, the NCAA decided that March Madness would not succumb to the virus once more.

With a vaccine only on the horizon and hundreds of Americans still dying each day, the organization announced in November of 2020 that while the tournament would go on, it would certainly not be business as usual. All 67 games, NCAA officials said, would be held in one location. Central Indiana was the first choice as Indianapolis had been on tap to host the Final Four April 3-5.

The plan, said NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt in a November 2020 IndyStar article was to present “a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”

In January the NCAA made it official: All games would be played in and around Indianapolis in a modified version of a bubble.

Holding the tournament in one place just made sense, NCAA officials told IndyStar. Unlike in a typical year when a winning team would travel multiple times before the championship, this system would minimize travel, which could inadvertently expose players and coaches to the virus.

Two months later when the tournament kicked off on March 18, 55 of the 67 games were scheduled to be played in Indianapolis venues, such as Gainbridge (then Bankers Life) Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue’s Mackey Arena and IU’s Assembly Hall also hosted games.

While the first Covid vaccine had arrived a few months earlier, few people outside of first responders and the most vulnerable had been immunized, so in an effort to avoid large crowds, the Indianapolis sites all capped tickets at 25% capacity. That meant only 17,500 people could attend games at the largest venue, Lucas Oil Stadium. The college arenas allowed far smaller audiences, with IU limiting attendance to 500 people.

A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate. Referees donned masks as much as possible as did coaches and players on the bench.

The NCAA regularly tested athletes, administering 28,311 tests Covid tests during the tournament, 15 of which came back positive.

Post-mortems after the tournament asked whether the NCAA had made the right call. Two high profile deaths occurred in the aftermath of the tournament — one a University of Alabama superfan who had traveled to Indy for the games and the other a St. Elmo bartender. But proving a direct link between their deaths and the tournament would prove impossible, and some public health experts said the NCAA had done everything it could to protect athletes and fans short of canceling the event.

A study conducted by IU, Regenstrief researchers and others that appeared in August 2021 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while mask wearing had theoretically been compulsory, about a quarter of attendees at the games were either not wearing masks or doing so inappropriately. Still, in an IndyStar article about the study Indiana Sports Corps president Ryan Vaughn termed the event “a resounding success.”

The following year, with a vaccine widely available and far fewer daily deaths from the virus, the tournament returned to a typical schedule, concluding in New Orleans’ Ceasars Superdome. More than 69,00 fans attended the final games, according to the NCAA. Local authorities had lifted the mask requirement by this point.

“Last year was about survival. Just having championships in any way, single site, keep everybody safe and be successful,” Gavitt said in an NCAA news release in late April 2022. “I think this year was about advancing.”

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Iowa

Two Iowans sentenced to prison for creating child pornography

Published

9 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Two Iowans sentenced to prison for creating child pornography

Two Iowans will spend decades in federal prison after pleading guilty to separate child exploitation offenses.

Martin Menjivar, 59, of Iowa City, was sentenced Thursday, March 26, to 42 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography possession. It comes days after Pry’Shayn Mosley, 21, of Fort Dodge was sentenced to 25 years for exploitation and receipt of child pornography.

Iowa City man picked up children from school, abused them

Menjivar, a citizen of Honduras, was charged in May 2025. In court filings, prosecutors say Menjivar was entrusted to pick up children, some as young as 5, from their elementary school and bring them to his wife’s home for after-school babysitting. In at least two cases, Mejivar used that access to get children alone and touch them inappropriately, recording the interaction on video.

Investigators reportedly found dozens of illicit images and videos on Menjivar’s electronic devices. Menjivar also previously worked as a school photographer in Honduras, and investigators found he had hundreds of photos from his former employment that focused on children’s clothed genitals.

“Defendant’s horrific actions of creating and collecting child pornography show violence against young, vulnerable children and a severe danger to the community,” prosecutors wrote in presentence filings.

Menjivar also has been charged in Johnson County with second-degree sexual abuse against two different children, apparently in relation to the same conduct. That case remains pending, with a plea hearing scheduled in May.

Fort Dodge man gets 25 years for enticing children

Mosley, who was sentenced March 23, was charged in January 2025. Prosecutors alleged that in 2022, he enticed two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, photographed or recorded it, and distributed the resulting pornography to others, including additional children.

In addition, during a warrant search that located drugs, guns and electronic devices containing child pornography, Mosley tried to get a juvenile at the scene to conceal drugs from the investigators.

Mosley pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and receiving child pornography. Additional drug, pornography and exploitation charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Menjivar was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, while Mosley’s case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. Attorneys for Menjivar and Mosley did not immediately return messages Thursday seeking comment.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.

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Kansas

Will Flory Bidunga Return to Kansas, Enter the NBA Draft, or Transfer?

Published

15 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Will Flory Bidunga Return to Kansas, Enter the NBA Draft, or Transfer?

The Kansas player with the biggest decision to make this offseason is sophomore big man Flory Bidunga. The Congo native just wrapped up his second year in Lawrence and will have to determine whether he wants to spend another year at the university.

In 35 games this season, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game en route to an All-Big 12 First Team selection. A breakout star, Bidunga took one of the biggest jumps of any player in the entire country.

Most mock drafts project Bidunga to be selected in the early-to-mid second round or even as early as the late first round, though you’d be hard-pressed to find many predictions like that. Is he a strong enough draft prospect to go pro after two campaigns?

Evaluating Flory Bidunga as an NBA Draft Prospect

Bidunga’s biggest strength is as a rim protector and shot-blocker, evidenced by his conference-leading block number. His freakishly lengthy wingspan allows him to contest nearly any shot at the rim and forces opposing players to reconsider testing their luck against him.

Almost all of Bidunga’s points come within six feet of the basket or the free-throw line, where he has shot a lifetime 61.8% in the NCAA. Since he has such an impressive vertical for his size, he can rise up for several dunks a game and might have thrown down more alley oops than any other player in the country this season.

Mar 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Despite his long arms, Bidunga is still quite undersized as a true five. He stands at 6-foot-9, which is rather short for someone with the skill set he possesses.

Bidunga is a traditional big who specializes on the defensive end and on the defensive glass. Still, it is difficult to see why an NBA team would want to spend an early draft pick on a center who doesn’t have much of a post game or imposing size.

He feels like someone who can carve out a long career in the league as a backup big man, which is a perfectly fine role to have. For him to become anything more than that, he’ll have to expand his game outside the paint and build more muscle to avoid being bullied by stronger centers.

Could Flory Bidunga Play Collegiately at a Different School?

While Bidunga will certainly be looking to impress NBA Draft scouts with his ability, going pro is not the only option for him. He could return to Kansas for his junior year or even enter the transfer portal to explore other collegiate opportunities.

Last year, Bidunga briefly entered the transfer portal before returning to the university and staying with Kansas. His reasoning was that he had concerns after playing sparingly in his freshman year behind Hunter Dickinson and may have also been seeking a larger NIL payout.

Before the season even ended, there was speculation that Bidunga might be eyeing opportunities from other schools that could offer more in NIL compensation. This has led to widespread uncertainty about his future as a Jayhawk.

Head coach Bill Self has refused to comment on these rumors in the past, but the uncertainty surrounding his own future at the school adds another layer to Bidunga’s situation. He has played for Coach Self in both of his collegiate seasons and may not be willing to stick it out with KU if a new face takes over the program.

We should learn more about these circumstances in the coming weeks, but Bidunga’s decision is one to monitor more closely than anyone else’s on the team. What he decides this offseason could ultimately shape the trajectory of his basketball career.

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