Porsche 930 Turbo Stolen 23 Years Ago Recovered By CBP in Los Angeles

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The Vehicle Was Found Inside of a Container Bound to the Netherlands

Los Angeles — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers assigned to the Outbound Enforcement Team (OET) at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport seized a 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo which was reported stolen in Las Vegas, Nevada nearly 23 years ago.

CBP officers discovered the vehicle after targeting and examining a container scheduled to be exported to the Netherlands. While querying the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) information in law enforcement databases, CBP officers discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen on November 24, 1988.

CBP officers contacted state authorities who confirmed that the stolen record for the 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo was still active. On October 25, the vehicle was seized and released to those authorities for return to the insurance company who currently owns the title. 

“CBP maintains an aggressive approach in detecting and intercepting shipments containing stolen cargo heading overseas,” said Todd C. Owen, CBP director of field operations in Los Angeles. “This seizure is a prime example of how CBP’s outbound team combines intelligence, expertise and strategic targeting to recover stolen vehicles.”

The seized vehicle’s manifest was undervalued at $12,552 whereas CBP import specialists estimated the value of this collector’s edition without its engine as approximately $27,552. 

From October 2010 to August 2011, CBP/OET at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Seaport seized 51 vehicles and 49 engines heading overseas. Of that total, 24 were stolen, 63 were undeclared, seven were undervalued and six had fraudulent documents. The combined estimated value is $1.8 million.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.