Cargo theft incidents in the United States recorded $132 million in stolen goods during the first three months of 2026, stemming from 767 separate incidents. Authorities and experts attribute the rise in value to organized crime syndicates targeting high-value technology used in artificial intelligence and data centers.

Investigators with the Cook County Sheriff's Office in Illinois recovered two stolen trailers containing $1.3 million worth of data center equipment in June 2026. One trailer held approximately $1 million in data center infrastructure equipment reported stolen in Jacksonville, Florida, while the other contained about $300,000 in copper wires that had been reported stolen in Pine Hill, Alabama. The Sheriff's Office received a tip on June 18, 2026, regarding the stolen trailer.

Overall cargo theft losses totaled $725 million in 2025. The total number of cargo theft incidents decreased from 3,854 in 2024 to 3,594 in 2025. Despite the decrease in the number of incidents, the average value of stolen goods in cargo theft incidents rose from approximately $200,000 in 2024 to nearly $275,000 in 2025.

The FBI issued a public service announcement in April 2026, warning that cyber threat actors are employing sophisticated tactics to impersonate legitimate businesses to hijack freight. Verisk CargoNet stated, "High-value, easily resold technology—such as servers, semiconductors, and other components powering AI infrastructure—is an increasingly attractive target."

David Warrick, executive vice president of supply-chain risk management firm Overhaul, discussed the profitability of these activities for criminals. He said, "The economics have become just crazy from the criminal opportunistic perspective." Warrick stated, "As the world pours a trillion dollars in there, and everybody's spending a lot of money, the criminals are saying, 'What a great opportunity; you need to be part of this.' That's the way it works."

In July 2025, a truck shipment managed by Ceva Logistics, containing approximately $15 million in semiconductors and Apple products, was stolen in Reno, Nevada. Authorities found the empty trailer in California, approximately 280 miles away, two weeks after the theft. In December 2024, thieves stole over $7 million in Nvidia computer chips from a California warehouse. These chips were scheduled for delivery within a day to a San Jose Supermicro facility.