Santa Ana, Calif., police are investigating the theft of trading cards they initially valued at about $963,000 from a FedEx vehicle, FreightWaves and ABC7 Los Angeles reported on Oct. 20, 2026. The driver discovered the loss on Oct. 13 in a parking lot at Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a card-grading company, after finding the rear cargo-door lock missing. Two pallets, each holding about 100 packages of Pokémon, sports and other trading cards, were gone, and an unknown number of parcels had been removed from a third, according to FreightWaves.
Police have not determined when or where along the route the theft occurred, or whether the thieves specifically targeted the cards. Some outlets, citing police sources, reported that the driver was away from the vehicle for roughly 60 to 90 minutes; FreightWaves said Santa Ana police could not confirm that timeline. Police said the final value has not been determined because a full inventory is not complete. No arrests had been announced, and FedEx said it is working with law enforcement.
The case shows how high-value, easily resold goods moving in parcel and final-mile networks can be exposed while a vehicle is stopped, not only in long-haul truckload freight. California ranks first among states for reported cargo theft, according to Verisk CargoNet data cited by CBS News.
Sources
- FreightWaves: Nearly $1M in Pokémon and sports cards vanish from FedEx truck, driver discovers missing lock (Oct. 20, 2026)
- ABC7 Los Angeles: Nearly $1 million worth of rare Pokémon and sports cards stolen from FedEx truck in Orange County heist, police say (Oct. 20, 2026)
- CBS News: Police target cargo thieves on trains in a first-of-its-kind national blitz (Oct. 9, 2026)
