A yearlong investigation into an auto theft ring plaguing the Denver metro has led to the indictment of 17 suspects tied to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful criminal mafias. Why it matters: Authorities say catching the culprits will make the state significantly safer.

These weren’t simply individuals looking to steal a car for a joyride. This was a multimillion-dollar international enterprise which robbed far too many here in the state of Colorado.”

Over the past year, we have been talking a lot about all of the vehicle thefts out of Denver International Airport. In fact, in 2023 there were just over one thousand cars stolen out of Denver. 700 were out of DIA alone.