Suspect to Plead Guilty in $100M Brink’s Jewelry Robbery

By JCK News Desk | November 11, 2026

One of seven men charged in the theft of approximately $100 million in jewelry and watches from a Brink’s truck has agreed to plead guilty to a federal robbery charge, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times and City News Service.

Carlos Victor Mestanza Cercado is scheduled to enter his plea Nov. 19 in federal court in Los Angeles. City News Service reported that he faces up to 20 years in prison.

In his plea agreement, Mestanza admitted that he and others targeted a Brink’s semitruck after it left an international jewelry show in San Mateo, Calif., on July 10, 2022. The group followed the truck, which was carrying 73 bags of merchandise belonging to jewelers, for about 300 miles as it traveled south, coordinating by phone along the way, the Times reported.

The following day, while the truck was stopped at a travel center in Lebec, Calif., Mestanza and his co-conspirators broke its locks and stole 24 bags containing gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, luxury watches, and other jewelry, according to the plea agreement. Victims subsequently valued the stolen merchandise at around $100 million. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has described the crime as the “largest jewelry heist in U.S. history.”

The Times reported that merchandise belonging to 14 jewelers was taken. Some of the victims suffered severe financial losses, and several ultimately left the jewelry business. Jerry Kroll, an attorney representing affected jewelers, called Mestanza’s plea deal “a significant step toward accountability,” adding that his clients have yet to recover from the losses.

Investigators eventually used cellphone data to help identify suspects, according to the Times. After the indictment became public in June 2025, Mestanza reportedly traveled through several countries before authorities detained him July 1, 2025, at the international airport in Panama City while he was traveling from Guatemala to Ecuador.

The plea agreement also covers Mestanza’s admitted participation in other cargo thefts in 2022, including the theft of more than $240,000 in Samsung electronics and more than $57,000 in Apple AirTags.

Three co-defendants in the jewelry case are scheduled to stand trial in March, two others have not been arrested, and a seventh defendant was deported while awaiting trial.

The JCK news desk uses AI to help research and produce the first draft of articles. This story was then reviewed by staff writer David Blomquist.

(Photo: Getty Images)