Santa Ana Man Arrested in Postal-Vehicle Thefts : Crime: Marcello Barragan, 19, is suspected of fencing stolen credit cards and checks.

Federal agents on Friday arrested a Santa Ana man suspected of acting as a fence for a gang responsible for stealing checks and credit cards from mail trucks throughout Orange and Riverside counties.

Marcello Barragan, 19, was taken into custody at 8 a.m. at his home on Richland Street after he twice sold stolen checks and credit cards to undercover federal agent Barragan within the past month, authorities said.

Postal inspectors, assisted by Secret Service agents and Santa Ana police, also seized mail found at Barragan’s house that was addressed to others, several credit cards, assault rifles, pistols and knives. About six more credit cards were found in the trunk of Barragan’s car.

Authorities also found several fowl in the back yard that they believe might have been used for illegal cockfighting.

Barragan’s arrest came after a nearly two-month investigation by a special postal inspection task force formed to combat what authorities call an epidemic increase in mail theft from postal vehicles throughout Southern California. In the past five months, about 220 mail trucks have been broken into in Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The surge in break-ins is attributed to such factors as the weak economy and high unemployment, and to mail theft’s evolving into an organized crime.

Authorities say gang members prowl neighborhoods in search of mail vehicles that have been left unattended while carriers make their rounds on foot. They smash the windows of the trucks and steal trays of mail containing government assistance and insurance checks and credit cards. Other gang members sell the checks, or cash them using phony identification or by altering the names of the payees. Credit cards are often taken to Las Vegas, where they are quickly charged to their limits.

Postal inspectors said they believe that the gang Barragan was associated with has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of checks and credit cards in recent months. The gang also may be involved with armed robberies of mail carriers and with drug trafficking, they said.

Authorities said the stolen checks and credit cards were kept at various locations and were brought to Barragan when he was about to make a sale. More than $30,000 worth of checks and credit cards were purchased from Barragan in the three sting operations.

Postal inspectors were led to Barragan by an informant who was arrested in early January with several stolen credit cards in his possession. The inspectors said other arrests may come soon.

“We have many leads we will pursue,” said Thomas Avallone, head of the postal inspection task force.

Postal inspectors said they rely on leads from residents who watch for suspicious activity around mail trucks.

Barragan, a Mexican national with resident alien status, was to be arraigned before a federal magistrate Friday and charged with possession of stolen mail. If convicted, he could be sentenced to prison for as long as five years. Authorities said other charges might also be brought.