A two-day, multi-agency operation targeting cargo theft networks recovered about $635,000 in stolen freight on Sept. 23–24, FreightWaves reported Sept. 30, citing information from the Cook County (Ill.) Sheriff’s Office. The largest recovery was 30 transformers valued at roughly $600,000, which were located Sept. 23 at a facility in Lawrence, Massachusetts, according to the report. Officials had not released the number of people taken into custody, and final figures from participating agencies were still pending.
Cook County Sheriff’s Police led the effort, called the National Supply Chain Blitz, alongside the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Illinois State Police, local police departments, railroad police from Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF and CSX, and industry partners including CargoNet, TAPA and Overhaul. Incident commander Michael Ware said criminal networks “don’t respect jurisdictional lines.”
The operation reflects a broader push to connect law enforcement, railroads and private theft-data providers. As Ware noted, thieves can move stolen freight across jurisdictions before any single agency recognizes what is missing, which makes shared intelligence and fast reporting central to recovery.
Have information about a cargo theft or freight fraud incident? Report it anonymously through the free NMFTA Threat Report Portal.
