Federal Jury Convicts Siblings of Fraud; Defendants Made Tens of Millions of Dollars from Lying to Manufacturers in Years-Long Scheme

Press Release

SAN DIEGO - Adriana Camberos (formerly Adriana Shayota) and Andres Camberos, sister and brother, were convicted by a federal jury of multiple fraud charges on October 25, 2024.

Their illegal scheme involved lying to manufacturers to sell wholesale groceries and other goods at steep discounts by promising the goods would be sold in Mexico, or to prisons or rehabilitation facilities. Instead, the defendants sold the products at higher prices to U.S. distributors, for the U.S. market. Wire fraud charges arose from the numerous wire transfers, as well as other interstate communications, the defendants made as they bought products from the manufacturers, transferred money among their own companies to facilitate the scheme, and then re-sold the products at higher prices to U.S. customers.

Following an 11-day trial, the jury found the defendants guilty of eight of 11 counts that went to the jury. Adriana and Andres Camberos were both found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and seven wire fraud counts, and not guilty of three mail fraud counts.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants owned and controlled three businesses: Tradeway International, Inc., doing business as Baja Exporting (owned by Adriana Camberos); Specialty Foods International, Inc., doing business as Promix Co., Prison Food Depot, Rehab Food Depot and Specialty Foods International (owned by Andres Camberos); and Baja Foodservice S.R.L. de C.V. (95% owned by Andres Camberos and managed by Adriana Camberos). Specialty Foods International and Baja Exporting shared a warehouse and office space in San Diego. Baja Foodservice had a warehouse in Tijuana. All three operated together, as sister companies.

Baja Exporting claimed to be an exporter of grocery items and consumer goods to Baja California, Mexico. Similarly, Specialty Foods International, claimed to be a regional distributor of groceries and other goods to retailers in Baja California, Mexico, and to correctional facilities and rehabilitation and wellness facilities within the United States. Baja Foodservice likewise claimed to be a regional distributor in Baja California, Mexico.

The defendants used the three companies-especially Baja Foodservice-to tell manufacturers that they would sell the manufacturers' products in Mexico, and based on that, they received significant discounts for purported sales, distribution, and exporting to the Baja California market. The defendants also sought discounted goods for Specialty Foods International, d/b/a Prison Food Depot and Rehab Food Depot, based on the claim that they sold products to prisons and rehab facilities.

But the defendants lied. In a years-long scheme, they used their three companies to get those lower prices from manufacturers and resell the products at higher prices to U.S. customers-often the same distributors the victim companies were already selling their products to. Between 2019 and September 2023 alone, Baja Exporting and Specialty Foods International sold hundreds of millions of dollars of products to U.S. distributors; less than a tenth of one percent of their sales were to any Mexican retailer or distributor, and they did no business with prisons or rehab centers.

The defendants took other numerous steps to conceal and perpetuate their fraud. For example, the defendants removed GPS tracking devices from manufacturers' shipments; removed Spanish-language labels or packaging intended for the Mexican market; obtained Mexican customs documents to try to prove to manufacturers that products were being exported; arranged "market visits" in Tijuana, taking manufacturers' representatives to various stores in Baja California where they placed the manufacturers' products-often alongside models who were hired by the defendants' companies and associates-to create the appearance the products were being sold as promised; had a fake "office" in Mexico City to meet with manufacturers, in an effort to make the companies think the defendants did substantial business in Mexico; and otherwise doubled down on their lies when the victim companies suspected the defendants were diverting their products and defrauding them.

Baja Exporting and Specialty Foods International made over $58 million in gross profits between January 2019 and September 2023. As owners, the defendants made millions each. In the same time period, Adriana Camberos took in over $12 million from Baja Exporting, and Andres Camberos paid himself over $14 million from Specialty Foods International. This caused manufacturers to lose tens of millions of dollars-money they would have made in the normal course of selling to U.S. distributors, but for the defendants' lies.

With the money they made from the scheme, Adriana and Andres Camberos made extensive luxury purchases and investments. They bought or financed a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, a Lamborghini Huracan, and multiple Range Rovers; purchased multiple homes in the San Diego area; purchased a condominium at the beach in Coronado; and put the money in multiple investment accounts, life insurance policies, a cryptocurrency account, and other assets. These and other items are subject to forfeiture.

"These defendants' deception led to millions in illegal profits, but the gain was fleeting," said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. "When this elaborate scheme unraveled, justice prevailed."

"The Camberos siblings built a multimillion-dollar empire solely on fraud," said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. "This conviction should send a clear message that fraud - no matter the scale - will be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty of perpetrating such schemes will be brought to justice."

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Mellor, Peter Horn and Jordan Arakawa.

DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-1916-BAS

Adriana Isabel Camberos (aka Adriana Shayota) Age: 54 San Diego, CA

Andres Enrique Camberos Age: 45 San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349

Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

Wire Fraud - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343

Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation

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Updated November 13, 2024