Carrollton police say they have seen an increase in stolen heavy-duty pickup trucks.
Police said a handful of heavy duty thee-quarter and one-ton trucks have been stolen in the last two months.
"The parts are very valuable on the black market," Sgt. Derick Miller said. "The entire North Texas region has basically been a victim of this."
Sherry and Jeff Vogt said their 2005 Ford F-250 was stolen in December. They said police told them the trucks were a target.
"He said, 'They're doing it all over the neighborhood. Your truck is a target, the F-250 diesel, and they're taking them,'" Jeff Vogt said.
His wife discovered that his truck was stolen when she took the trash and recycling out. Her truck was still in the driveway, but her husband's was gone.
"She came back to get me and asked me, 'Where's your truck?'" he said. "I was getting ready to leave for work and I said, 'Well, it's in the driveway.' She said, 'Well, no it's not.'"
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Sherry Vogt said she heard strange noises outside the night before but didn't think anything of it.
"They knew what they were doing," her husband said. "This was no game. They knew exactly what they were doing."
The couple is warning other people about the theft.
"Keep your eye out for anyone that may not belong in the neighborhood," Sherry Vogt said.
Law enforcement in Austin say they believe some Ford F-250s and F-350s that are stolen there are being used to smuggle people into the country from Mexico. They say they've recovered dozens of stolen trucks in South Texas that have evidence of smuggling.
