The following is an archived video story. The text content of that video story is available below for reference. The original video has been deleted and is no longer available.

Fighting Back: Austin Truck Thefts Surging

Truck owners beware! Pick-up truck thefts are soaring. Police say that last year thieves stole about one pick-up truck a day in the Austin-area. And we are on pace to exceed that this year with 45 thefts already reported.

If you own a pickup truck, no matter what kind, in less than five minutes thieves will pop your lock , get in and head south. Austin police say it's the work of drug cartels looking to move people, not drugs.

Police say thieves are targeting shopping centers, apartment complexes and neighborhoods across the city.

Criminals gut the interiors and stuff as many as they can inside. The most popular stolen trucks in our area are Ford F250s, Chevy's 1500 and 2500 and Dodge super duty because of their capacity.

Criminals can bypass many types of alarms, but if you have visual deterrents like an old fashion club or get a kill switch installed it could help prevent your truck from being stolen.

By Angel Covarrubias