Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Venezuela's International Appetite for Stolen Luxury Cars

Venezuela's International Appetite for Stolen Luxury Cars

Specialist gangs have been caught smuggling expensive vehicles from Colombia into Venezuela, shining a spotlight on how an increasingly dollarized economy has allowed a black market for luxury goods to thrive.

In late September, thieves hijacked a Toyota Prado TXL assigned to a local congressman in the Colombian border town of Cúcuta, holding his bodyguard hostage while they fled towards Venezuela in the vehicle, according to La Opinión. The car was one of three Toyotas stolen in the town over the course of two days.

The thefts were part of a string of similar crimes across the border department of Norte de Santander. The cars are stolen by specialist gangs, including the aptly-named “Los Toyoteros,” and then trafficked into Venezuela via informal border crossings controlled by Colombian criminal groups.

According to Colombian authorities cited in La Opinión, 84 cars and 421 motorbikes have been stolen during 2021 in Cúcuta alone, 90 percent of which end up in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan market for illicit vehicles is well-established. According to a judicial source who spoke to El Heraldo in 2020, cars are stolen in other Colombian cities like Barranquilla and then resold in the border regions so that they can be smuggled to the neighboring country.

There is at least one reported incident of a senior Venezuelan Army officer using a vehicle stolen in Colombia without a license plate in Barquisimeto.

In July 2020, Venezuelan authorities charged several high-ranking officials from the National Institute for Land Transport (Instituto Nacional de Transporte Terrestre – INTT) with illegally registering as many as 1,000 smuggled cars, according to sources linked to the case who spoke to El Pitazo.

InSight Crime Analysis


Networks moving stolen vehicles into Venezuela are now operating across the Americas, with the country’s wealthy elite wanting access to expensive goods through legal and illegal means alike.

Despite the country’s dire economic crisis, with over 75 percent of the population living in extreme poverty, the rise of a parallel dollarized economy has benefited the wealthy.

Those with plentiful funds in dollars have access to a lavish lifestyle. A Ferrari dealership even opened in northern Caracas this year. Delivery services offer sparkling wines, cigars and books, all imported from abroad.”The government no longer harasses the small private sector and has allowed dollarization to advance,” one economist told Bloomberg.

Black market smugglers appear to be cashing in on this trend as well. According to Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab, the cars legalized through the criminal network in the INTT had origins in Brazil and Chile, as well as Colombia.

Even cars from the United States have made their way into Venezuela’s illegal market. In July 2020, 81 vehicles, including Lexus and Mercedes cars, were seized in Florida before they could be shipped illegally to Venezuela.

In comparison, just one car was produced domestically in the first half of 2021, a dramatic collapse compared to the 24,223 vehicles made in Venezuela between January and March of 2011.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×