Customers say packages bound for Mexico are missing after shipping company closed in La Puente

LA PUENTE, Calif. (KABC) -- Some customers in La Puente say they paid hundreds to send packages south of the border, but their mail never arrived, and the shipping business they used went on to close permanently.

Some said they successfully shipped packages through the business in the past, but that's no longer the case. An ABC7 crew spotted a notice on the door that said there were scheduled pickups on Wednesday, but some people who spoke to Eyewitness News said they are still empty-handed.

Frustrated customers arrived at a La Puente warehouse to find it empty after weeks -- and in some cases, months -- of waiting for packages they say never made it to their destinations. They said they paid the business hundreds of dollars to have their shipments delivered outside of the U.S., but now, they're in limbo.

Some of the boxes contained gifts for family members or merchandise intended to start small businesses. Several customers said they had been unable to get answers from the shipping company, Paqueteria Internacional.

Jesus Lopez said he came to the warehouse looking for information about his shipment. "I just decided to come today. And I found out that there's nobody here," he said.

Lopez added that Paqueteria Internacional initially told him his packages had left the warehouse for Mexico City.

"After that, it was canceled. I couldn't get no more information. I called. I texted," Lopez said.

Another customer, who did not want to be identified, said she was frustrated by the lack of communication. "We work, and everything is expensive. We want our family to have something from us, from here," she said. "And that's the disappointment. Even the police don't help us."

Some customers said they contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and were told the issue was a court matter. They also said the company sent a message last week stating it was "in the process of bankruptcy," and that boxes stored in the warehouse would be returned this past Monday.

People described a chaotic scene outside the warehouse and said deputies eventually cleared the area. Attempts by Eyewitness News to reach the company were unsuccessful, as phone numbers listed online were not operating.

Ana Cristina Flores got emotional, saying the boxes she shipped held a dream.

She said she and her husband spent thousands of dollars on products to launch a business in Mexico. She managed to retrieve one of two boxes.

"I get emotional because only God knows what we're going through here with everything," Flores said in Spanish.

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs confirmed that it has heard about the company from consumers in recent weeks. They ask affected consumers to file a complaint with the department so that they can investigate. The department can be contacted at 800-593-8222 or online at dcba.lacounty.gov.