Two Arrested After Key Largo Trailer Theft, Guns and Heirlooms Taken
Two men were arrested in Hillsborough County after a storage trailer stolen from a home on Tortuga Drive in Key Largo was traced to a Tampa storage unit, Monroe County officials said. The trailer held about thirty five thousand dollars in property, including roughly 25 firearms and several family heirlooms, a loss that raises public safety concerns and highlights gaps in property crime prevention.
Monroe County law enforcement announced Friday that two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of a 2025 TR Extreme storage trailer stolen from a Key Largo property. The trailer was reported missing Wednesday after being taken from a home on Tortuga Drive, and deputies say it contained household items, appliances, tools, clothing, hunting gear, and approximately 25 firearms, several of which are family heirlooms.
Monroe County Sheriff Office spokesman Adam Linhardt said detectives followed evidence that led them to a self storage unit in Tampa where the two suspects were observed moving the stolen property. Linhardt said detectives obtained a search warrant for Carlos A. Cortes Pedraza’s residence, the self storage unit in Tampa, among other properties, and found stolen items from the Key Largo trailer.
Arrest warrants were obtained for Carlos A. Cortes Pedraza, 53, of Tampa, and Heriberto Ivan De La Hoz Medina, 36, of Brandon. Both face charges that include grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of firearms, armed burglary of a conveyance and petit theft. Online jail records show Cortes Pedraza also faces a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Both suspects will be transported to Monroe County to face charges there.
The recovery of firearms and other stolen property reduces an immediate public safety risk, yet the theft has left community members grappling with loss that is both material and personal. Family heirlooms among the seized items underscore the emotional as well as financial toll on victims. The case also illustrates the need for continued cross county coordination among law enforcement agencies to address thefts that move quickly beyond island limits.
Community leaders and public safety officials may use this incident to reinforce guidance on secure storage of firearms and valuables, timely reporting of theft, and support for victims navigating recovery and insurance. Prosecutors will review the evidence as the suspects are transferred, and the outcome will shape local discussions about resource allocation for property crime prevention and the safe recovery of stolen firearms.
