Two Men Arrested After Key Largo Trailer Theft, Firearms Recovered

Detectives working the case recovered stolen property and took two suspects into custody after tracing a 2025 TR Extreme storage trailer reported missing from a Tortuga Drive property in Key Largo. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received the initial report on Dec. 3 that the trailer had been taken, and investigators found the unit contained household goods, appliances, tools, clothing, hunting gear and approximately 25 firearms. The total value of the property was estimated at about $35,000 and several firearms were reported as family heirlooms.

Evidence collected by detectives pointed to a self storage unit in Tampa where two men were observed moving the purportedly stolen items. Search warrants were obtained for the residence of one suspect, the storage unit, and additional properties. The searches yielded stolen items from the Key Largo trailer, and some of the firearms were recovered during the operations.

Authorities arrested 53 year old Carlos A. Cortes Pedraza of Tampa and 36 year old Heriberto Ivan Del La Hoz Medina of Brandon in Hillsborough County. Both men were taken into custody and will be transported to Monroe County to face multiple charges. Each faces counts that include grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft of firearms, armed burglary of a conveyance and petit theft. Bond has been set at $455,000 for Pedraza and $505,000 for Del La Hoz Medina.

The incident underscores risks to local residents who store property on trailers and in exterior units, and it highlights how stolen firearms can cross county lines. Monroe County law enforcement collaborated with Hillsborough investigators to locate the items and to make arrests, a reminder of the regional nature of property crimes. Residents should review storage security, inventory heirlooms and firearms, and report suspicious activity to local authorities as the case proceeds through the county legal system.