Douglas Mathis, Jamir Scott, and Tariq Duncan were caught as they were stealing 1,600 pounds of beef from a locked tractor-trailer in the 7300 block of Edmund Street, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said.
Investigators say the men were witnessed breaking the lock on the truck and carrying away 25 cases of beef, worth $7,000, to their van.
The three suspects are charged with corrupt organizations, theft, and related offenses. Bail for each was set at $200,000 cash.
Tuesday's bust is connected to the arrests of four Philadelphia men in New Jersey earlier this month in what state police called 'Operation Beef Bandit.'
'Operation Beef Bandit' nabs 4 connected to organized cargo theft ring
The suspects arrested in that case were part of what authorities called an "organized cargo theft ring."
The Pa. A.G.'s office and Philadelphia police worked with law enforcement in New Jersey to track down the men arrested Tuesday.
This comes after a series of thefts from tractor-trailers in Philadelphia, in which items such as beef, seafood, bourbon and even dimes were stolen.
It's not known if the suspects arrested in this case were connected to the previous thefts.
Police: Estimated 2 million dimes stolen from truck in Northeast Philadelphia