Operation Copper Mine
In August 2014, Proper Protection and Investigations founder Luis Linares was retained to conduct surveillance related to suspected copper theft involving underground power infrastructure.
During the initial phase of the assignment, Investigator Linares identified and documented a utility contractor whose activities were inconsistent with legitimate work. After several days of surveillance, he obtained video evidence capturing a red Ford F-250 actively extracting copper cable from the ground—evidence that would later become central to a broader investigation.
Further investigative work revealed that the suspects were operating a fleet of surplus “ghost vehicles”—former utility trucks acquired at county auctions and modified to closely resemble active service vehicles. This discovery indicated a coordinated effort to disguise criminal activity as legitimate utility operations.
The evidence obtained during this initial surveillance phase prompted the launch of what would become known as Operation Copper Mine, a long-term investigation into an organized theft ring later referred to by investigators as “The Copper Cowboys.”
Investigator Linares led the private surveillance team responsible for identifying participants, mapping associations, and documenting criminal activity as it occurred. Over the course of approximately sixteen months, the team conducted sustained surveillance operations that resulted in more than thirty hours of video evidence documenting coordinated planning and repeated felony offenses.
The investigative work directly supported law enforcement action and ultimately contributed to 35 RICO counts filed against 17 defendants.
In November 2015, arrest warrants were executed simultaneously against multiple suspects. One individual attempted to evade law enforcement and temporarily avoided apprehension.
Drawing on his detailed knowledge of the subject’s routines, associations, and movement patterns developed during the investigation, Investigator Linares located the individual at a motel in Hialeah, Florida.
Investigator Linares notified the Florida Department of Law Enforcement of the subject’s location and coordinated perimeter security until law enforcement units arrived. The subject was taken into custody without further incident.
Missing Person and Fatal Hit-and-Run Investigation: Anthony Mejias
On April 2, 2021, Anthony Mejias, a college student traveling from Tallahassee to South Florida, was reported missing in Orlando, Florida. Mr. Mejias had boarded a scheduled bus to visit his mother; during a planned stop in Orlando, he mistakenly disembarked. A subsequent misunderstanding with the driver resulted in Mr. Mejias being unable to reboard the bus and leaving the terminal on foot without most of his personal belongings, including his phone and skateboard.
When Mr. Mejias failed to arrive in Miami as scheduled, his mother reported him missing. Preliminary information indicated that he departed the bus terminal shortly after midnight carrying a duffel bag and had not been seen since.
Investigator Luis Linares was retained by the family’s legal representative to assist with locating Mr. Mejias and immediately initiated a field investigation centered on the bus terminal and surrounding area. During the initial site assessment, Investigator Linares identified and recovered critical personal property belonging to Mr. Mejias—including his cell phone, backpack, and skateboard—items that had not been secured during the initial response.
For the next three days, Investigator Linares coordinated search efforts alongside Mr. Mejias’s family, friends, and volunteers. Flyers were distributed, social media alerts were issued, and incoming tips were evaluated. As is often the case in high-profile missing-person investigations, numerous false leads and fraudulent claims emerged, complicating the search and placing additional strain on the family.
It was later confirmed that Mr. Mejias had been admitted to a local hospital on the night he went missing and was initially listed as an unidentified patient. He died several days later from his injuries.
Following confirmation of Mr. Mejias’s death, Investigator Linares shifted the focus of the investigation to determining the circumstances surrounding the incident. Law enforcement advised that Mr. Mejias had been found unresponsive in the roadway along Orange Avenue and was believed to have been struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run collision.
At the time, no suspect had been identified and investigative progress was limited. Investigator Linares conducted an independent canvass of the scene and recovered physical evidence that remained unsecured, including Mr. Mejias’s shoes and fragments of clothing bearing traces of vehicle paint. These items were properly secured and submitted to the Florida Highway Patrol for forensic analysis.
In addition, Investigator Linares located and preserved surveillance footage from multiple nearby businesses. Video obtained from five separate cameras along Orange Avenue documented Mr. Mejias walking along—and at times within—the roadway in the moments leading up to the collision. The footage confirmed that Mr. Mejias was the victim of a hit-and-run incident. All recovered video evidence was promptly delivered to the Florida Highway Patrol for further analysis.
Despite these efforts, the driver involved in the collision has not been identified.
As of 2025, the investigation remains open. Anyone with information related to the incident is encouraged to contact Proper Protection and Investigations, Crime Stoppers, or the Florida Highway Patrol.
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