Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, May 12, 2026:
Thee busted for allegedly hijacking delivery truck in New York
Three individuals were charged Thursday, May 7, after allegedly hijacking and robbing a delivery truck outside of a Long Island, New York, Apple store.
The three defendants -- Alan Christhofer Cedeno-Ferrer, Michael Mejia-Nunez and Ennait Alexis Sirett-Padilla -- are charged with Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
“As alleged, these defendants committed a violent and brazen daytime robbery that terrorized the victims and endangered the public at one of the most popular shopping centers on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. “Our office will continue its relentless pursuit of violent criminals who prey on innocent victims and put our communities in harm’s way for their own financial gain.”
According to court filings, at approximately 8 a.m. on Jan. 3, the defendants, working with others, hijacked a delivery truck that was parked outside of the Apple Store at the Americana Manhasset mall, as two workers were preparing to deliver Apple products to the store. The contents of the truck included more than $1.2 million worth of MacBook laptop computers, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and various accessories.
Three men allegedly approached the delivery workers armed with handguns, forced one of the workers into the back of the delivery truck and zip-tied his hands. They ordered the other victim into the driver’s seat to drive the truck.
Directed to a secluded parking area behind an office building located on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset, New York, the victime driver was ordered into the back of the truck with the first victim, where his hands were also zip-tied.
A Home Depot box truck, allegedly rented by Cedeno-Ferrer using a fake Pennsylvania driver’s license, pulled into the parking area and backed up to the rear of the delivery truck so the cargo sections were aligned.
Once finished moving Apple merchandise from the delivery truck to the Home Depot truck, perpetrators closed victims inside and left the location. One of the victims was able to free himself and call 911.
The stolen merchandise was taken to a self-storage facility in Paterson, New Jersey. Surveillance cameras caught Mejia-Nunez and Sirett-Padilla renting a storage unit used to facilitate transferring the stolen goods from the Home Depot truck to a U-Haul truck, likewise another vehicle driven by a coconspirator.
The Home Depot truck was abandoned in the Bronx and located by law enforcement Jan. 5. Cedeno-Ferrer’s fingerprints were found on a copy of the rental agreement recovered inside the vehicle.
If convicted of the charges, defendants face up to 30 years in prison.
Border Patrol issues cabotage law reminder as driver’s visa revoked
U.S. Border Patrol officers in Tucson, Arizona, on May 8 issued a reminder of cabotage laws in the U.S. that prevent truck drivers licensed in Mexico or Canada from hauling freight point-to-point within the United States.
“Cabotage laws are not optional and violations can be costly,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
The reminder followed a Mexican national visitor visa holder who was found in violation of multiple statutes when he was caught transporting commodities from Nogales, Arizona, to Laredo, Texas.
As a result, the driver was processed, his visa was revoked, and the trailer was towed.
“When carriers or drivers are found in violation of federal transportation, immigration, and customs regulations, it leads to serious penalties and loss of privileges; to include immigration consequences or future entry restrictions,” Border Patrol added.
FedEx Freight spin-off clears regulatory hurdle
FedEx Corp. (CCJ Top 250, No. 1) has announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has concluded its review of a filing related to the previously announced separation of FedEx Freight from FedEx into a new, publicly traded company.
The SEC has declared that FedEx’s Registration Statement on Form 10, a filing used for a company to be classified as a reporting company under the Exchange Act.
This milestone concludes the SEC’s review of the Form 10, and the FedEx Freight separation remains on track for June 1, subject to final approval by the FedEx Board of Directors and the satisfaction or waiver of customary conditions.
FedEx Freight currently stands as the largest North American Less-Than-Truckload (LTL) carrier. The transition aims to allow the company to operate with a more focused LTL model, which FedEx leadership believes will unlock long-term value for stockholders and improve service for customers.
[Related: FedEx Freight ramps up for June 1 spin-off]
New York State Thruway welcome centers closing overnight
As of May 4, the three welcome centers operated by the New York State Thruway Authority will no longer be open 24 hours and will close overnight.
The new hours for the three locations are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Food service and restrooms will not be available overnight but parking will remain open. The three affected locations:
- Capital Region Welcome Center (I-87 North, between exits 21B and 21A). The New Baltimore Service Area located on the other side of the Thruway is open 24/7/365.
- Mohawk Valley Welcome Center (I-90 West, between exits 28 and 29). The Iroquois Service Area located approximately 22 miles to the west is open 24/7/365.
- Western New York Welcome Center (off I-190, exit 19). The Pembroke Service Area (37 miles to the east) and Angola Service Area (38 miles to the west) are open 24/7/365.
All 27 Thruway Service Areas will remain open 24 hours a day, year-round.
![Img 9401[87]](https://img.ccjdigital.com/mindful/rr/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/05/img-940187.vJq7SVGjUK.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
