How cargo thieves are hijacking California — and what we can do about it

California’s economy helps keep America running — and criminals know it.

Organized cargo theft has exploded across the state, targeting freight infrastructure.

But we can stop it — with new, tough federal legislation.

The need is urgent.

From the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, to the rail corridors and highways that crisscross the Central Valley, more goods move through California than any other state in the nation.

Our farms, factories, energy producers, and retailers depend on a freight network that works — safely, efficiently, and without criminal interference.

Today, that system is under a coordinated attack by sophisticated criminal networks that operate across state lines with little fear of consequence.

These are not isolated thefts or petty crimes.

They are deliberate, repeat-driven operations designed to exploit gaps in federal law and weak coordination among enforcement agencies across different levels of government.

Even Gov. Gavin Newsom has admitted the problem.

Visiting a site where stolen cargo was strewn across rail tracks in 2022, he said: “I see what everybody’s seeing, asking myself, what the hell is going on? It looks like a Third World country.”

That reality is why momentum is growing on Capitol Hill to support stronger tools to combat cargo and supply-chain theft, including bipartisan federal efforts to improve enforcement coordination and dismantle organized theft rings.

Criminal networks don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries — and California cannot rely on a patchwork response when the problem is national in scope.

The impact is felt statewide.

Agricultural shipments moving out of the Central Valley, consumer goods headed to Southern California retailers, and manufactured products passing through Inland Empire distribution hubs are all increasingly at risk.

In Kern County alone — home to major rail corridors, highways, and logistics activity around the Central Valley — theft and freight disruption are already having a ripple effect on local businesses, workers, and consumers.

The numbers tell the story.

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Nationwide, cargo theft costs the trucking industry an estimated $18 million every day. Railroads reported more than $100 million in losses last year alone — a 40 percent increase from the year before.

Given California’s scale and role as a global trade gateway, the state bears a disproportionate share of these losses.

Criminal tactics are evolving rapidly. In trucking, thieves often pose as legitimate carriers or brokers, using stolen identities and forged paperwork to pick up loads without ever breaking a lock.

Once they have the freight, tracking devices are disabled and the cargo disappears.

Rail theft follows a similar playbook, with criminal crews monitoring train movements, identifying high-value shipments, and striking when trains slow or stop in remote areas.

Theft rings move goods quickly across city, county, and state lines, making cases difficult to investigate and prosecute.

Too often, repeat offenders face limited penalties before returning to the same activity — emboldening organized networks and driving theft rates even higher.

The shipping industry is not standing still.

While the government flounders in response, railroads and trucking companies are investing tens of millions of dollars each year in security personnel, surveillance technology, and coordination with law enforcement.

But private investment alone cannot solve a problem that is interstate, organized, and increasingly sophisticated by design.

That is why Congress must act.

The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) would strengthen federal coordination, improve data sharing among law enforcement agencies, and give investigators the tools they need to target the criminal networks behind cargo theft — not just the individual thefts themselves.

More than 90 organizations across transportation, retail, and logistics support this approach because the threat is national, and the response must be as well.

This is not a trucking issue or a railroad issue. It is an attack on our nation’s supply chain resiliency; a crippling agriculture and manufacturing issue; a worker safety issue; and a cost-of-living issue.

When freight is stolen, insurance costs rise, deliveries slow, shelves go empty, and California families pay more at the checkout counter.

California’s supply chain is one of the state’s greatest economic strengths. Allowing organized crime to exploit it undermines affordability, public safety, and economic confidence at a time when families can least afford it.

Congress has the tools to derail the syndicates. For the sake of our economy, cargo theft deserves action — not excuses.

Rep. Vince Fong represents California’s 20th Congressional District. Ian Jefferies is president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads. Chris Spear is president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.