Two individuals have been detained after recent arrest operations targeting suspected thieves from Mexico, who are accused of stealing millions of dollars worth of Nike sneakers through sophisticated train robberies in the Mojave Desert.

On March 27, officials from the Hualapai Nation Police Department in Arizona stopped a maroon Chevy Tahoe, which was “suspected to be involved in train robberies in the area,” as mentioned in an official statement by the department.

During the traffic stop, eight occupants exited the vehicle and ran away. Authorities reported finding stolen Nike footwear in the vicinity, and the driver, identified as a man from Mexico, was taken into custody.

People visit a Nike store on 5th Avenue during the holiday season in New York City Dec. 9, 2022.  (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)

“Criminal organizations that specialize in stealing from trains, which consist primarily of Mexican citizens with connections to the Mexican State of Sinaloa, have used the technique of cutting air hoses to control where trains with valuable cargo come to a stop,” the DOJ said in a statement. “This act is very dangerous and can cause the trains, which travel up to 70 miles per hour, to derail.” 

Thieves will often leave boxes of stolen goods along railroad tracks for a second crew to pick up and transport to California, where the products will be sold online, according to federal prosecutors. 

Nike did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.